Backflow Base / Tester certification / California
Backflow tester certification in California.
The state does not issue tester certificates. Testers used by public water systems must be certified by an organization the Water Board recognizes. Counties, cities and water systems may add their own rules.
Last updated .
Who certifies
State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water
backflow@waterboards.ca.gov
The state sets a minimum; a water system may ask for more.
What it takes
- Credential
- Backflow tester certificate from a Water Board-recognized organization (ABPA, ASSE 5110 or CA-NV AWWA).
- Exam
- Written and practical exam given by the certifying organization, for example CA-NV AWWA.
- Renewal
- Set by each certifying organization; not stated on the state page.
- Fees
- CA-NV AWWA exam: $355 members, $385 non-members. Others not checked.
Certificates from elsewhere
- ABPA: accepted as it is. Water Board lists ABPA as recognized for 7/1/2026 to 7/1/2027. ANSI/ISO 17024 accreditation, needed after 7/1/2027, shown as in process on the 8/26/2026 table.
- ASSE 5110: accepted as it is. Recognized for 7/1/2026 to 7/1/2027. ANSI accreditation shown as in process on the 8/26/2026 table.
- AWWA: accepted as it is. CA-NV AWWA is recognized and ANSI (ANAB) ISO 17024 accredited (June 2023), so it qualifies after 7/1/2027.
- other: not accepted. NCBPA is not recognized. LA County Public Health certificates stop being valid for meter-protection assemblies on 7/1/2026 and stay valid for internal-protection assemblies only.
No other state's certificate is named as valid here. Ask the program before you rely on one.
Where to get certified
- CA-NV Section AWWARancho Cucamonga, CA · exam · in person. Runs the BPAT exam. Fall 2026 sessions listed in Sunnyvale, Rancho Cucamonga, Newbury Park, Lake Elsinore, Sacramento, Madera and Las Vegas. Exam $355 members, $385 non-members.
- American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA)exam. Recognized certifying organization. Check its event list for California exam sites.
- USC Foundation for Cross-Connection Control and Hydraulic ResearchLos Angeles, CA · course · in person. Lists a Tester Course with no dates scheduled; call 866-545-6340 to confirm. Not itself a recognized certifier.
Listed for convenience, not endorsed. Check that a course is on the state's approved list before you pay.
Free exam prep → Study questions, practice exams, device tests.
Test procedures for every assembly → The steps we recommend for the field exam.
Filing test reports
No statewide filing rule found. Each water system sets its own tester list, form and portal.
Portals in use: CCAMS (SFPUC)
Largest water systems
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
East Bay Municipal Utility District
- Contact
- 510-287-0874
- Reports
- Mail the completed test form to EBMUD Backflow Prevention Section MS 47, PO Box 24055, Oakland, CA 94623, within 30 days of notification.
- Testers
- Test must be done by a tester on EBMUD's Approved Backflow Testers List.
City of San Diego Public Utilities
San Jose Water
- Contact
- 408-279-7872
- Reports
- From 1/1/2027 customers hire a certified tester; SJW says it will send submission instructions before each 2027 deadline.
- Testers
- SJW program documents require annual testing by a properly certified tester.
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
- Contact
- 650-652-3199 · backflow@sfwater.org
- Reports
- Reports go through the CCAMS system (customer user guide on the SFPUC page).
- Testers
- Testers must be permitted by the SF Department of Public Health (sfdph.org/xconn); SFPUC publishes a list of companies employing authorized testers.
Sources
- Water Board: Backflow Tester and CCC Specialist Certification
- Water Board table: Tester Certifications Recognized and Accredited (8/26/2026)
- CA-NV AWWA BPAT certification
- LA County Public Health FAQ on tester certification changes
- EBMUD backflow prevention
- San Jose Water backflow
- San Jose Water: testing changes January 2027
- SFPUC cross-connection control
- USC Foundation
Checked 2026-10-19 against each state's own program pages and rules. Rules change; confirm with the program before you book an exam or a test. Spot something out of date? hello@backflowbase.com.
The software
- Bookings from a booking page, your own website, and an AI receptionist on your phone.
- Schedule board and route for each tester.
- Field app that scores every test, even with no signal.
- Test reports sent to the water system that serves each address.
- Card payments to your own Stripe account, and yearly renewals that charge after the test.
- Client portal for HOAs, property managers and contractors.
- $50/month flat: no per-test fee, no cut of payments.
- Every feature →What the app does, part by part.
- Compare →Next to other backflow and field-service software.
- Start free →No card. $50/month or $500/year once you go live, 45 days free.
- Free exam prep →Study questions, practice exams, device tests, a VR wet lab.