Backflow Base / Tester certification / Colorado

Backflow tester certification in Colorado.

CDPHE does not issue a tester certificate. Water suppliers use testers certified by ABPA or ASSE. Since HB25-1077 (March 28, 2025) a plumbing license is not needed to inspect, test or repair assemblies.

Last updated October 19, 2026.

Who certifies

Colorado Dept. of Public Health and Environment, Water Quality Control Division
cdphe_wqcd_fss_questions@state.co.us

The state sets a minimum; a water system may ask for more.

What it takes

Credential: ABPA or ASSE backflow assembly tester certification.
Before you start: No plumbing license needed to test (HB25-1077). Denver Water also requires a state Fire Suppression System Contractor-Backflow certification for fire assemblies.
Exam: Given by ABPA or ASSE.

Certificates from elsewhere

ABPA: accepted as it is. Named by Denver Water, Estes Park and South Adams County as the state-based requirement.
ASSE 5110: accepted as it is. Pages say ASSE certification without naming the standard.
USC FCCCHR: up to each water system. Not named in sources read.

No other state's certificate is named as valid here. Ask the program before you rely on one.

Compare every state →

Where to get certified

American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA)exam. Certifying body Colorado utilities accept. Check its event list for Colorado exam sites.

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

Each supplier sets its own portal or email. Annual testing is required for commercial, multifamily and irrigation assemblies.

Portals in use: BSI Online, Aurora Spry portal

Largest water systems

Denver Water

Contact: 303-628-5969 · crossconnectioncontrol@denverwater.org
Reports: Email the Denver Water test report form to crossconnectioncontrol@denverwater.org. No portal.
Testers: ABPA or ASSE certification for domestic and irrigation; no tester registration described. Install/test completed within 60 days of notice.

Aurora Water

Contact: 303-326-8520
Reports: Enter results online at sprybackflow.aurorawater.org before the annual due date.
Testers: Must be a Certified Backflow Technician (ordinance 138-170); registration process not described.

Colorado Springs Utilities

Reports: Licensed testers enter pass or fail results into CSU's online system. Irrigation due by July 1; domestic and fire by Oct 1.
Testers: CSU keeps a registered backflow testers list; requirements for joining not read.

City of Thornton

Reports: Thornton tracks reports through Backflow Solutions Inc (BSI) at bsionline.com; per-report fees apply after the first test.

City of Westminster

Contact: 303-658-2477 · backflow@westminsterco.gov
Reports: Submit results through bsionline.com.
Testers: Must be a certified backflow prevention assembly tester.

All 1,015 Colorado water systems →

Sources

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.

Contact

hello@backflowbase.com