Backflow Preventer Testing and Repair in Surprise, Arizona

Surprise runs its own backflow program for properties on City of Surprise water, with an annual test, set reporting windows and an online reporting system. If the property is served by one of the other providers in Surprise, that provider's program applies instead.

Which program applies

Section 58-256 of the Surprise municipal code applies the city's cross-connection rules to premises served by the City of Surprise drinking water systems. The city lists eleven water providers in its planning areas, so check My Surprise Address first. Under Section 58-255, where state rule R18-4-215 or the city's judgment calls for a device, the city notifies the customer, who installs an approved device at their own expense. The code does not say every house has an irrigation backflow assembly, so start from the device actually on the property and any notice received.

City of Surprise customers can send program questions to backflow@surpriseaz.gov, the address listed on the city's Cross-Connection and Backflow page. That page states the city's policy of eliminating actual or potential cross-connections between drinking water and non-potable systems. It defines backpressure as downstream pressure rising above the supply pressure and backsiphonage as a drop in system pressure that pulls water backward. Those are the two conditions an irrigation assembly is there to stop.

The Surprise testing cycle

The city's Backflow Prevention Owner Information page says each backflow preventer is tested before it goes into service, after a repair, and when the meter is installed, and then at least once a year. The owner is responsible for making sure that happens. Only an approved and certified tester may test, using a current certified and calibrated gauge, and copies of the report go to the owner, the water provider and the tester. A replaced device needs a new certification, and the replacement form records the make, model, serial number, size and type of both the new and the old device. After the city sets a meter, the device is tested no later than 48 hours after the meter is set. The Backflow Assembly Testers page adds that testers must hold a certification from an organization recognized by ADEQ and appear on the city's approved list, that annual reports are due within ten working days of the renewal date, that reports go through the SAMS Universal Tester website rather than email or mail, and that a failed test report is not accepted as a completed test.

Repairs, replacements and purple devices

ADEQ lists approved assemblies in order of protection: air gap, reduced pressure principle, pressure vacuum breaker and double check. The Surprise program pictures air gap, double check, reduced pressure and atmospheric vacuum breaker devices. A failed annual test usually means a check or relief valve is fouled or worn, and a rebuild followed by a passing retest completes the cycle; the city will not record a failed report as complete. Surprise also has reclaimed-water backflows, which are colored or tagged purple, and the city tells testers never to use a potable test kit on them. Damaged or missing backflow devices are listed in Section 58-658 of the city's water conservation code as a cause of water waste, and theft of brass assemblies happens. Keep the owner records the city asks for: test reports, repairs and replacements. The general method is on the backflow testing service page. The Surprise annual backflow test guide explains the timeline. Zone valves in the yard are a separate part; see valve and solenoid repair in Surprise. All services are on the Surprise hub. Not sure who your provider is? Who supplies your water in Surprise explains the eleven providers, and how to choose an irrigation contractor in Surprise covers checking a tester before you hire.