Who is allowed to test a backflow preventer in BC?

Certification belongs to the tester

Backflow tester certification is held by an individual who has completed the required training and assessment. It is not created by adding “certified” to a company name or website headline.

Chilliwack’s current FAQ says testing can be completed by an individual certified by the British Columbia Water and Waste Association. The Township of Langley also identifies a BCWWA-certified tester as the person who performs annual tests.

The municipality can add local rules

Certification is often only one part of eligibility. The authority receiving the report may require a business licence, portal account, tester registration or specific form.

The Township of Langley says the tester must have a valid Township business licence and that it rejects reports when either tester certification or the business licence has lapsed. Surrey requires an active Surrey or inter-municipal licence as part of portal registration.

Calibrated equipment matters

Field testing relies on differential-pressure equipment. The test-kit record demonstrates that the instrument has been calibrated on the required schedule and can support credible readings.

Surrey asks for a calibration report for every test kit used by a registered testing company. Abbotsford’s published report includes fields for the testing equipment and calibration date. Ask a provider whether the kit record is current for the appointment.

Portal access and reporting authority

In a portal municipality, the eligible tester or company needs the right account to submit the result. Surrey’s current portal separates tester and company-administration functions and requires supporting records for registration.

The property owner also has a role. Surrey says the Customer Account number belongs on the notice and will not be given to a tester without express owner permission. Qualified field work still needs the correct property information.

A short hiring checklist

Before booking, ask direct questions and expect direct answers.

• Who will perform the test?
• Is the tester certification current?
• Which business licence applies to this address?
• Is the test kit calibration current?
• Can the provider submit through the municipality’s accepted route?
• Does the quote include the report and any City fee?

Avoid self-serving schema and review claims

Structured data cannot turn an unverified credential into a fact. A business should publish real certification, licence and contact details only after the owner supplies the records. The same rule applies to review stars: mark up visible, legitimate third-party reviews where allowed; do not invent an aggregate rating.

For the BackflowPros preview site, credential numbers and first-person certification claims remain intentionally absent until the operating company provides verifiable documents.