State rules
Georgia
Georgia Environmental Protection Division guidance says the state requires every community drinking water system with at least 10,000 connections to have a cross-connection control program, and that smaller systems may also be required to have one depending on special circumstances. The Division recommends that all water systems have a program. The same guidance says the Secretary of State professional licensing board does not administer backflow prevention assembly certification, because that requirement is not codified in the Georgia Safe Drinking Water Act. EPD contracted with the Georgia Association of Water Professionals to administer Georgia Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certification using Association of Boards of Certification exams.
Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Drinking-water agency
- The Georgia Environmental Protection Division drinking-water program requires recognized backflow-tester certification and contracts with GAWP to administer Georgia BPAT certification.
- Who may test an assembly
- EPD requires a backflow prevention assembly tester to hold a valid certification from a certification program recognized by EPD.
- Official program page
- Official page →
Rule 391-3-5-.13(4), as quoted in the EPD guidance, says a water supplier shall, when requested by the Division, develop a program to eliminate and prevent all cross-connections, with a written plan. The guidance says every backflow prevention assembly tester must hold a valid certification from a program EPD recognizes. A report covering July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, says GAWP worked under contract on the statewide tester certification and that the University of Florida TREEO Center is approved to provide certification exams to GAWP. The guidance document has an effective date of September 1, 2021.
The September 1, 2021, guidance says GAWP will communicate cross-connection information, keep a database of program administrators, announce training, help a system set up a new program, train purveyor staff, and keep a certified-tester searchable database of current Georgia BPAT licensees. That database is described as a GAWP service. It is not a Secretary of State license lookup. A customer should still confirm that the water system accepts the current Georgia BPAT certification for the assembly being tested.
Because the professional licensing board does not issue this credential, a plumber license or operator license is not, by itself, the tester certification described in the guidance. The guidance is specific: testers hold a certification from a program EPD recognizes, and GAWP administers the Georgia BPAT program for EPD. The guidance does not state a fee in the passages used here, so no fee is reported. Fire and irrigation questions should be taken to the water system’s written program, which the rule allows the Division to require.
Official resources in Georgia
Drinking-water page that links the Georgia Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester certification guidance.
Explains which systems need a program and how GAWP administers tester certification for EPD.
Says testers must hold a certification from a program recognized by EPD.
Key facts for Georgia
- EPD says community systems with at least 10,000 connections must have a cross-connection control program, and smaller systems may be required to have one.
- The tester-certification requirement is not administered by the Secretary of State professional licensing board.
- EPD contracted with GAWP to administer Georgia BPAT certification using ABC exams.
- EPD requires testers to hold a valid certification from a program EPD recognizes.
- The guidance says GAWP maintains a searchable database of current Georgia BPAT licensees.
- A guidance document for the program was posted with an effective date of September 1, 2021.
What to do next
- Ask for a current Georgia BPAT certification from a program EPD recognizes.
- Do not use a water-operator license as a substitute unless the water system says its program allows it.
- Ask the utility whether your system is one that EPD has required to keep a written cross-connection program.
- Use the GAWP database the guidance describes, then confirm the water system will accept that tester.
Looking for your city or county in Georgia?
We haven't found official program-level pages for Georgia 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 Georgia, 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.Georgia EPD drinking water and GBPAT guidance
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 Georgia 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
- What a backflow test is
- Who is allowed to test a backflow assembly
- Why utilities require annual backflow testing
- Tester and cross-connection specialist