Backflow Base / Tester certification / Massachusetts
Backflow tester certification in Massachusetts.
MassDEP issues its own Backflow Prevention Device Tester certificate (form WS-10, filed online through ePLACE) to people who pass a MassDEP-approved written and practical exam.
Last updated .
Who certifies
MassDEP Drinking Water Program
Otavio.Paula-Santos@mass.gov
The state issues the certificate testers need.
What it takes
- Credential
- MassDEP Certified Backflow Prevention Device Tester (WS-10).
- Before you start
- Proof of passing a MassDEP-approved written and practical exam. Apply within 12 months of passing or retake the exams.
- Training
- MassDEP's fact sheet says a certificate from a training school alone is not MassDEP certification.
- Exam
- MassDEP-approved written and practical exam.
- Renewal
- Certificate lasts 3 years. Renew with proof of at least 24 device tests and 3 training contact hours in the period. With fewer than 24 tests, retake the practical exam or attend NEWWA's tester recertification review training.
- Test kit
- Test kit must be calibrated annually (310 CMR 22.22, 2009 text).
- Fees
- See MassDEP Permit Timelines and Fees; amount not read.
Certificates from elsewhere
- AWWA: accepted once you apply, no new exam. NEWWA says Massachusetts requires its own certification separate from NEWWA's. NEWWA is named for recertification training.
No other state's certificate is named as valid here. Ask the program before you rely on one.
Where to get certified
- New England Water Works Association (NEWWA)Holliston, MA · course and exam · in person. Courses and practical exams; MassDEP certification is a separate application. Also named by MassDEP for recertification review.
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
Send copies of the inspection report to the water supplier and the owner. Each public water system may require its own form or portal.
Deadline: Within 30 days of the inspection (310 CMR 22.22, 2009 text)
Largest water systems
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
- Contact
- 617-242-6000 · ask.mwra@mwra.com
- Reports
- MWRA page does not take test reports or name testing rules; testing is handled by the local water department.
Tri-Town Water Board
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
Worcester Water Supply Division
Springfield Water and Sewer Commission
- Contact
- 413-310-3450
- Reports
- Questions go to the Cross Connection Control Program; submission steps not on the page.
Sources
- MassDEP WS-10 Cross Connection Certification
- MassDEP WS-10 Certification Fact Sheet (rev. 12/22)
- 310 CMR 22.22 Cross Connection Regulations (2009 version)
- NEWWA program information
- Springfield Water and Sewer Cross Connection Control Program
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.