Backflow Prevention

As your municipal water supplier, our mission is to supply safe, clean drinking water to all our customers.

If you are a property owner with an in-ground sprinkler system or private well, state and local laws require that you install and maintain a backflow prevention device on your service line and have it inspected yearly by a certified tester.

What is backflow?

Backflow is the reverse flow of water from its “normal” direction of flow in a piping system. It occurs due to a difference in pressure from one point to another. Water, in a lawn sprinkler system for example, may become contaminated with weed killers and fertilizers and could potentially backflow into drinking water.

Controlling Backflow

To control backflow, all lawn irrigation systems are required to be equipped with an approved backflow prevention assembly device. The most common approved  device for lawn irrigation systems is the Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA) as pictured below.

                             DCVA Device

Irrigation systems not protected by an approved backflow prevention assembly could endanger the health of a household or neighborhood.

Required Testing

As mandated by the Department of Health, WAC 246‐290‐490, and Battle Ground Municipal Code 13.112, the City is required, as part of the cross connection and control program, to track all backflow devices in our distribution system and to assure that each device is tested annually. It is the water customer’s responsibility to meet the testing requirements.

If you have a lawn irrigation system, please contact the Public Works Department at 360-342‐5350.  

Certified Backflow Testers

This list of backflow testers is provided solely for the convenience of our water customers, and does not represent endorsement or support by the City of Battle Ground. Customers should use their own judgement and criteria when contacting any of these testers.