Backflow Base / Tester certification / Washington

Backflow tester certification in Washington.

DOH certifies Backflow Assembly Testers (BATs). Washington Certification Services (WCS) at Green River College runs the practical exam, and PSI runs the written exam. WA rules require a DOH-certified BAT for assembly testing.

Last updated October 19, 2026.

Who certifies

Washington State Department of Health, Waterworks Operator Certification Program
360-236-3145

The state issues the certificate testers need.

What it takes

Credential: DOH Backflow Assembly Tester (BAT) certificate, shown by a DOH BAT validation card.
Before you start: High school diploma or GED (12 years of education; substitutions exist, ask WCS). No experience or training is required to sit the exam.
Training: No course required. DOH does not endorse any training course.
Exam: Two parts, both must be passed. Practical: 1 hour, four assemblies (PVBA, SVBA, DCVA, RPBA), run by WCS. Written: 100 questions, 70% to pass, computer-based through PSI, taken within three months of passing the practical.
Renewal: Certificate is renewed yearly by December 31 with the annual fee (late fee applies; invalid after the end of February). Separately, pass the DOH BAT professional growth practical exam (PVBA, DCVA, RPBA, 45 minutes) once in each 3-year reporting period.
Test kit: Test kit must be checked for accuracy and pressure-tested by an independent lab at least once in the 12 months before each test. Give the water system the lab record and your BAT validation card.
Fees: Annual BAT renewal $83 (WAC 246-292-995). Practical exam $225 (WCS March 2025 fact sheet). Written exam $108, paid to PSI. Professional growth exam $170.

Certificates from elsewhere

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

Washington Certification Services (Green River College)Auburn, WA · exam · in person. Runs the state practical exam at state testing centers and the professional growth exam. 253-288-3357.
PSI (AMP) computer-based testingLocations across WA, Portland, or online · exam. Runs the 100-question written BAT exam in person or remotely.
Washington Environmental Training Resource Center (WETRC), Green River CollegeAuburn, WA · course. Listed by DOH as a regular submitter of approved training. BAT course schedule not confirmed.
Pacific Northwest Section AWWA (PNWS-AWWA)Pacific Northwest · course. Listed by DOH as a regular trainer for approved CEU courses. BAT-specific class not confirmed.

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

The BAT gives the report to the owner and to the water system (purveyor), in original, copy, fax or electronic form. Each water system sets its own method, and most require your BAT card and kit calibration record on file first.

Portals in use: SAMS (NJBSoft), SwiftComply

Largest water systems

Seattle Public Utilities

Contact: 206-684-3536 · SPU_TestReports@Seattle.gov
Reports: Submit reports and certifications through the SPU Tester Portal (SAMS, NJBSoft); the page says to keep emailing reports to SPU_TestReports@Seattle.gov for now. Portal questions: SPU_Backflow@Seattle.gov.
Testers: Send current BAT card and test kit calibration certificate first; reports cannot be submitted until they are on file.

Tacoma Water

Contact: 253-502-8207 · backflow@cityoftacoma.org
Reports: Email backflow@cityoftacoma.org, fax 253-502-8721, or mail PO Box 11007, Tacoma WA 98411-0007, Attn Water Quality. Due within 15 days of the test, completed in ink.
Testers: Reports are not accepted until Tacoma Water has your current BAT card and kit calibration certificate; send them once a year. DOH-approved test procedures only.

City of Vancouver

Contact: 360-487-8276 · backflowtestreports@cityofvancouver.us
Reports: Enter tests in the city SAMS portal using the Letter Code from the customer's notice; upload your own report PDF under Documents.
Testers: Register in the SAMS portal and wait for city approval before entering tests. Company admins can manage tester certifications and gauge calibrations.

City of Spokane

Contact: 509-625-7969 · WaterCrossConnection@spokanecity.org
Reports: The page does not say how testers submit reports; contact the Cross-Connection Control Program. It requires a passing report before a customer is in compliance.
Testers: Only testers with current Washington State certification may test. The city publishes a list of certified testers.

City of Bellevue

Contact: 425-452-7840 · backflow@bellevuewa.gov
Reports: Email backflow@bellevuewa.gov (the city's backflow page and test report form direct reports and tester portal access requests there).
Testers: Requires WA DOH BAT certification. Portal name and calibration filing rule not confirmed.

All 2,301 Washington 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