Backflow Tester List

State rules

California

California’s State Water Resources Control Board says the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook requires every backflow assembly tester and every cross-connection control specialist used by a public water system, for handbook compliance, to be certified by a recognized and accredited certifying organization. From July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, those people must be certified by an organization recognized in California. Effective July 1, 2027, only organizations accredited by ANSI to ISO/IEC 17024 may be used for handbook compliance. The Board page says ANSI accreditation applies to certification, not to training courses. There is no separate federal tester license.

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

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Drinking-water agency
The State Water Resources Control Board sets Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook certification rules for testers and specialists used by public water systems.
Who may test an assembly
Backflow assembly testers and cross-connection control specialists used for handbook compliance must be certified by a recognized certifying organization, with ANSI ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation required beginning July 1, 2027.
Official program page
Official page →

The specialists-certification page says certifying organizations can apply to the State Water Resources Control Board to be recognized. It lists two application types, one for backflow assembly tester programs and one for cross-connection control specialist programs, each due by July 1, 2026. A separate application is required for each role. The request goes to backflow@waterboards.ca.gov and must include a cover letter and information showing the program complies with the handbook, sent as a PDF unless the Cross-Connection Control Committee agrees to another file type.

The application materials also ask for a letter from a psychometrician who evaluated the certification examination and determined compliance with ISO/IEC 17024, a statement of that person’s qualifications, and a signed written statement from the organization’s responsible representatives. That statement must attest that the organization will implement its program in a manner meeting or exceeding the criteria in handbook sections 3.4.1 or 3.4.2, if that promise is not already in the cover letter. These are requirements for the certifying organization, not a do-it-yourself test method for a property owner.

Public water systems, not homeowners, are the parties that must use certified testers and specialists for handbook compliance. A person hiring a tester in California should ask which recognized organization issued the certification and should confirm that the water system will accept it for the assembly in question. The Board page, last updated June 23, 2025, does not publish a single statewide roster of individual testers on that certification page. It also does not set one statewide test fee. Local water systems still decide how they collect test reports.

Official resources in California

Backflow tester and specialist certification

State Water Board page on Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook certification recognition and the 2026 and 2027 deadlines.

EPA Cross-Connection Control Manual

Federal educational manual for cross-connection control programs. It is not a tester license.

EPA primacy page

Describes how states receive primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems.

Key facts for California

What to do next

  1. Ask which certifying organization issued the card and whether the State Water Board recognizes that organization for the current date.
  2. Treat tester certification and specialist certification as different applications; the Board page requires a separate application for each.
  3. Do not confuse a training-course certificate with the certification the handbook requires a public water system to use.
  4. Confirm with the water system how it wants the test report submitted.

Looking for your city or county in California?

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

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across California, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    State Water Board backflow and specialist certification
    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 California page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

Backflow tester planner →

Do you serve California? Get a featured listing for $30/month, clearly labeled as a paid placement.