Arkansas: State rules

Arkansas drinking-water cross-connection control is explained by the Department of Health, and tester qualifications are in the state plumbing rules. The Department’s consumer page says backflow means a reversal of the intended direction of flow, and that a cross-connection is a connection of a potable system to a non-potable system or to water of questionable quality. Testable reduced-pressure and double-check assemblies are distinguished there from older non-testable hardware. Separately, the Code of Arkansas Rules sets qualifications for a State Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing Technician certification through a Department-accredited training program.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

The Department of Health page says every public water system in Arkansas was required by regulation to have a cross-connection control program in place after January 1, 1996. It says domestic water shall not be provided to any device, equipment, or service connection that may permit contamination by back-siphonage or backflow. A backflow prevention device approved by the Department must be installed on any service connection found to contain a cross-connection. The same page explains that reduced-pressure and double-check assemblies can be tested, unlike older swing checks, dual checks, and atmospheric vacuum breakers that still have uses but are not the testable assemblies described there.

Code of Arkansas Rules section 17 CAR 66-102 says an applicant for the State Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing Technician certification shall have successfully completed a Department-accredited training program for backflow prevention assembly testing, or shall produce documentation of training in a substantially similar program and hold a current substantially similar license in another state. An applicant for the repair technician certification must already hold the Arkansas testing technician certification and must complete a Department-accredited repair program or a substantially similar program plus a current similar license in another state.

The Department publishes a list of accredited backflow prevention training programs. The 2025 list includes the Arkansas Rural Water Association, Kruger’s Training Academy, Ozarks Technical Community College, Plumbers and Pipefitters apprenticeship programs, and Southern Arkansas University Tech. That list is a training-provider list, not a public roster of every licensed tester. A property owner who needs a test should ask the water system which Arkansas credential it requires and should confirm the person completed a Department-accredited path or a path the rule treats as substantially similar.

Official resources in Arkansas

ADH Cross Connection/Backflow Prevention

Consumer overview of backflow, cross-connections, and why testable assemblies are used.

17 CAR 66-102 qualifications

Qualifications for the State Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing Technician and repair technician certifications.

ADH accredited training programs

Department list of accredited backflow prevention training programs.

Key facts for Arkansas

The Department of Health page says public water systems were required to have a cross-connection control program after January 1, 1996.
A Department-approved backflow prevention device must be installed on a service connection found to contain a cross-connection.
Testing-technician applicants must complete a Department-accredited training program or document substantially similar training plus a current similar out-of-state license.
Repair-technician applicants must already hold the Arkansas testing technician certification.
The Department’s 2025 accredited-program list names training providers, including Arkansas Rural Water Association and SAU Tech.
The consumer page distinguishes testable reduced-pressure and double-check assemblies from older non-testable hardware.

What to do next

Ask whether the job is testing only or testing and repair, because the repair certification has an extra training step.
Confirm the course was Department-accredited, or that the out-of-state license is one the rule treats as substantially similar.
Use the water system’s required device list; the Department must approve the device on a cross-connection.
Do not treat the training-provider PDF as a roster of people who are currently certified.

Looking for your city or county in Arkansas?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Arkansas we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Arkansas, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
Arkansas Department of Health cross-connection page
Website →
Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.
Your city or county office: Local governments →
Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Arkansas page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

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