Backflow Tester List

State rules

District of Columbia

A 2025 EPA report to Congress on community water system compliance says all states and territories have Safe Drinking Water Act primacy except Wyoming and the District of Columbia, and that the appropriate EPA regional office oversees implementation where a state or the District has not assumed primacy. EPA’s primacy page explains that EPA delegates public-water-system enforcement to states and tribes that qualify, and that EPA regional offices directly implement the program in Indian country where a tribe lacks primacy. This research did not locate a District of Columbia page that issues a backflow-assembly tester credential. No federal tester license is described on the EPA pages reviewed.

General information only: we have not verified state-specific rules for this page yet.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Drinking-water agency
EPA’s 2025 compliance report says the EPA regional office directly implements the public-water-system program for the District of Columbia.
Who may test an assembly
A District tester-certification rule was not found in this research. Ask the water supplier what credential it requires.
Official program page
Official page →

The EPA report says primacy agencies are states, territories, and tribes that assume primary enforcement responsibility for public water systems, and that they must meet specific requirements before EPA grants that responsibility. It then states that in areas where there is not a primacy agency, for example Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and most tribes, the EPA region directly implements the program. That sentence is about public-water-system supervision. It is not a backflow-tester licensing rule, and it should not be read as a District plumbing code.

EPA’s Cross-Connection Control Manual, EPA 816-R-03-002, February 2003, says it is a tool for health officials, waterworks personnel, and plumbers. Its preface says plumbing cross-connections, defined as actual or potential connections between a potable and nonpotable water supply, constitute a serious public health hazard, and that all municipalities with public water supply systems should have cross-connection control programs. The manual is guidance. It does not license testers in the District or anywhere else.

A District procurement document and a food-code excerpt were located, but they do not establish a public credential for testers who work on customer-owned assemblies across the city. Because a District tester-certification page was not found, this entry is a stub. A property owner in the District should ask the water supplier and the District plumbing authority what credential they require, and should not rely on this page for a license name, a fee, or a roster.

Official resources in District of Columbia

EPA report to Congress on community water system compliance

States that EPA directly implements the public-water-system program for the District of Columbia and Wyoming.

EPA primacy page

Explains how states and tribes obtain primacy and what a primacy program must include.

EPA Cross-Connection Control Manual

2003 Office of Water manual for cross-connection control programs. It is not a tester license.

Key facts for District of Columbia

What to do next

  1. Ask the water supplier which credential it accepts before hiring a tester.
  2. Treat EPA’s manual as background, not as a District license.
  3. Do not assume a license from a neighboring state is enough for a District assembly.
  4. If you find an official District tester page, use that page rather than this stub.

Looking for your city or county in District of Columbia?

We haven't found official program-level pages for District of Columbia 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 is general guidance, not a District of Columbia rule; local requirements can be stricter.
  2. Closest verified Nearest states where we have verified data:
  3. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    EPA public-water-system implementation for the District of Columbia
    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 District of Columbia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  4. 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 District of Columbia? Get a featured listing for $30/month, clearly labeled as a paid placement.