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Backflow Testing and Cross-Connection Control

Backflow prevention device installed on outdoor plumbing with valves and PVC pipes.
Backflow Prevention Device

Received a City of Tampa letter to test your backflow prevention device?

If you received a letter from the City of Tampa titled "Important: Notice to Test Backflow Prevention Device," it means that your backflow prevention device is due for testing. You need to arrange for a certified backflow prevention device technician to test your backflow prevention device within 30 days of receiving this letter. 

Below is a list of certified testers* that are currently registered in our SwiftComply database. The tester must submit the test results to SwiftComply within seven calendar days of testing the device. 

*Please note: The City of Tampa does not recommend or endorse any testers or companies. We offer this list to help water service customers find testers more easily. Please choose the service that works best for you. You are responsible for deciding who to hire and for checking their qualifications. The City of Tampa does not review the skills, insurance, or quality of the testers listed. We are not responsible for the actions or work of any tester listed here.

 LIST OF CERTIFIED BACKFLOW TESTERS
BACKFLOW ASSEMBLY TEST REPORT
Vertical backflow prevention device installed on outdoor water pipes.

Testing Schedule

  • For residential properties: Every 2 years
  • For commercial properties: Annually

Already had your device tested?

If you have already had the test performed, please request the tester to upload the test results into SwiftComply as we may not have received it yet.

How to submit test results

Certified backflow test results must be submitted to the Tampa Water Department within seven (7) calendar days from the testing date online via SwiftComply.

Are you a certified tester that needs to enroll in SwiftComply?

You may register online via SwiftComply. Click "Get Started" to request a SwiftComply Backflow user account and submit backflow tests online to the Tampa Water Department. 

Within 48 hours of registering, you will receive an email with details of how to login and set your password to enter tests online for the Tampa Water Department.

FAQs

Outdoor backflow prevention device with water coming out of the relief valve.

A backflow is the undesirable reversal of flow of water or other substances through a cross-connection and into the piping of a public water system or consumer’s potable water system. 

Simply, backflow happens when water flows back the wrong way from the pipes in your home or business to the municipal water main. 

A backflow prevention device is a critical water quality device that ensures that water flows in only one direction: from the city’s water main into your home or business.

These devices are designed to kick in if there is a loss of water pressure, for example, because of a water main break or a fire hydrant being opened. When water pressure drops, a backflow can occur – instead of the water being pushed forward into your home or business, the water will flow backward into the City's water lines.

A backflow prevention device stops water that’s already inside your pipes from flowing back to the main City water lines and contaminating the public water supply.

An approved backflow prevention device must be installed on any water service connection that the Tampa Water Department has identified as having a potential for backflow. This may include, but is not limited to, the following:

  • All commercial, industrial, and multi-family residential facilities
  • Congregate living facilities (such as nursing and convalescent homes)
  • Properties that are connected to both potable and reclaimed water supplies
  • Properties that have a secondary or backup water supply (such as a well or a pond)
  • Properties with a fire sprinkler system
  • Properties with a swimming pool
  • Properties with an in-ground irrigation system or underground sprinklers
  • Pumping stations
  • Water treatment plants

A list of facilities that usually require a backflow prevention device at the service connection can be found in Section 26-83 of the City of Tampa Code of Ordinance. 

Should the device be found defective, it must be serviced or replaced without delay within 15 days. Once the device is serviced or replaced, the certified tester will need to test it again and submit the test results to SwiftComply.

Additional Resources