Backflow Base / Tester certification / Michigan
Backflow tester certification in Michigan.
No state tester card. Public water supplies accept test results only from a tester who holds a valid ASSE 5110 certification (SDWA Rule 1405) and is a master, journey or supervised apprentice plumber (LARA/EGLE joint interpretation, 2023). Phone is LARA BCC licensing; email is EGLE general.
Last updated .
Who certifies
EGLE Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division, with LARA Bureau of Construction Codes
517-241-9313 · EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov
The state sets a minimum; a water system may ask for more.
What it takes
- Credential
- ASSE 5110 certification plus a Michigan plumbing license (master, journey, or apprentice under direct supervision)
- Before you start
- Michigan master plumber, journey plumber, or apprentice plumber working under direct supervision of a journey or master plumber.
- Training
- ASSE 5110 course; the MPMCA course is 5 days.
- Exam
- ASSE 5110 certification exam; plumbing license exams are LARA's.
- Renewal
- ASSE 5110 stays valid while its continuing-education requirements are met (per EGLE FAQ). MPMCA offers a 1-day recertification for current ASSE holders.
Certificates from elsewhere
- ASSE 5110: required to get the state certificate. Valid ASSE 5110 is required, but alone it does not let you test in Michigan; you must also hold the plumbing credential. Tester credentials should appear on each test report.
No other state's certificate is named as valid here. Ask the program before you rely on one.
Where to get certified
- Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Association (MPMCA)Michigan · course and exam · in person. 5-day MPMCA/ASSE certification course and 1-day recertification. Office 517-484-5500. Runs a Certified Backflow Tester Search.
- Backflow 911 / Winstel ControlsIndianapolis, IN · course · in person. Says its courses lead to Michigan ASSE tester credentials. Based in Indiana.
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 public water supply sets its own form and method and must verify the tester's credentials on every report. Grand Rapids takes commercial forms by email within 30 days.
Largest water systems
Detroit Water and Sewerage Department
- Contact
- 313-343-1768
- Reports
- The page covers inspections, not test reports. Inspections are scheduled with DWSD's vendor HydroCorp at 313-343-1768.
City of Grand Rapids Water System
- Contact
- backflow@grcity.us
- Reports
- From 2026, commercial test forms go by email as PDF within 30 days, one email per service address with the address in the subject, on City-provided forms. The older page also lists mail to 1900 Oak Industrial Drive NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.
- Testers
- Tester must be ASSE certified. Failed devices are repaired by a licensed plumber and retested before the form is sent. Commercial and multifamily send tests every 2 years on notice; high-hazard every year.
City of Kalamazoo Water
Lansing Board of Water and Light
City of Warren Water Department
- Contact
- 586-759-9200
- Reports
- The page covers the residential survey program only.
Sources
- EGLE: Michigan Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester Credentials FAQ (rev. Aug 30, 2023)
- EGLE cross connection control page
- EGLE/LARA bulletin on tester credentials (Aug 2023)
- MPMCA backflow courses
- Grand Rapids cross connection control
- Grand Rapids commercial backflow form instructions (2026)
- Detroit DWSD cross connections program
- Warren residential cross connection 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.