Salt Lake City, UT
Backflow testing in Salt Lake City
Updated · Editorial team; not yet technically reviewed
Short answer
Salt Lake City Public Utilities requires backflow preventers to be tested within 10 days of installation and every year after that, under the State Plumbing Code and drinking water rules. Results go to the city's Cross-Connection Control Program, and homes with sprinklers, pools, wells or secondary water connections need protection.
What's different in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City Public Utilities requires backflow preventers to be tested within 10 days of initial installation and annually thereafter. [1]
Annual testing is required under the State Plumbing Code and drinking water regulations, with results submitted to the city's Cross-Connection Control Program. [1]
Residential situations needing backflow protection include lawn sprinkling and irrigation systems, hose bibs, pools or hot tubs, and secondary water sources such as wells. [1]
Secondary water and backflow
Many Utah neighborhoods have secondary (untreated) irrigation water alongside culinary drinking water. A cross-connection between the two, or between a well and city water, is exactly what backflow protection prevents. If your property uses secondary water, make sure the systems are never connected and that any required assembly is tested.
Testing timeline
| When | Requirement |
|---|---|
| New installation | Test within 10 days |
| Every year after | Annual test, results to Cross-Connection Control |
| After repair or relocation | Retest before relying on it |
Freeze protection
Salt Lake winters freeze exposed backflow assemblies. Drain them and blow out sprinkler lines in fall. For what a backflow preventer does, the device types and how a test works anywhere, see backflow testing.
Further reading: How backflow happens and which devices homes use.
Common questions
How soon must a new backflow preventer be tested in Salt Lake City?
Within 10 days of installation.
How often are backflow devices tested in Salt Lake City?
Every year after the initial test.
Where are Salt Lake City backflow results sent?
To the city's Cross-Connection Control Program.
Does a Salt Lake home with secondary water need backflow protection?
Properties with secondary water or wells need protection so those sources can't contaminate city drinking water.
Which Salt Lake homes need backflow protection?
Those with sprinkler or irrigation systems, pools or hot tubs, hose connections and secondary water sources, among others.
What rules require backflow testing in Utah?
The State Plumbing Code and state drinking water regulations.
Can I connect secondary water to my house plumbing?
No. Secondary water must stay separate from culinary drinking water.
How do I keep my Salt Lake backflow preventer from freezing?
Drain it and blow out irrigation lines before the first hard freeze.
Do Salt Lake suburbs like Herriman have their own rules?
Yes, cities with their own water systems run their own backflow programs.
Who can repair a failed backflow device in Salt Lake City?
A certified tester or licensed plumber, followed by a retest.
More plumbing help in Salt Lake City
How other cities handle it
- Backflow testing in AustinAustin Water's backflow testing rules: who may test, the 5-day report deadline, online filing, and the irrigation rebates that pair with an upgrade.
- Backflow testing in San AntonioSAWS backflow testing rules for San Antonio: the June 30 annual deadline, the codes behind it, reminder notices, and what a 10-day notice means.
- Backflow testing in DenverDenver Water's backflow rules: annual testing, the May–September irrigation testing season, required device types, 30-day reminders, and where results go.
- Backflow testing in SeattleSeattle Public Utilities backflow testing rules: annual tests by your anniversary date, Washington-certified testers, reporting, and non-compliance charges.
- Backflow testing in PortlandPortland Water Bureau backflow rules: yearly testing by a state-certified tester, the spring timing it prefers, reminder letters with labels, and shutoff risk.
- Backflow testing in CharlotteCharlotte Water backflow rules: residential irrigation tested every 3 years, residential domestic yearly, approved testers, and RP assemblies on irrigation.
- Backflow testing in RaleighRaleigh Public Utilities backflow rules: residential irrigation tested by July 1 every three years, commercial yearly, owner-paid certified testing, and contacts.
- Backflow testing in TampaCity of Tampa Water Department backflow rules: residential tests every two years, commercial yearly, certified technicians, and the 7-day online reporting rule.
- Backflow testing in Colorado SpringsColorado Springs Utilities backflow rules: who must test annually, the July 1 deadline, the $405 fine, licensed testers entering results, and single-family guidance.
- Backflow testing in Fort WorthFort Worth backflow rules: annual tests for commercial and health-hazard assemblies, a three-year cycle for low-hazard irrigation, and registered testers.
- Backflow testing for JEA customers in JacksonvilleJEA residential backflow rules: testing at least every two years by JEA Qualified Vendors, dual checks replaced every five years, and reclaimed-water irrigation.
- Backflow testing in Fort LauderdaleFort Lauderdale backflow rules: residential irrigation tested every two years, commercial yearly, only PVB or RP devices on irrigation meters, and certified testers.
- Backflow testing in DallasDallas backflow rules: lawn irrigation assemblies don't need annual tests, only when new, repaired or replaced; high-hazard assemblies need annual registered tests.
- Backflow testing in HoustonHouston backflow testing: testing companies must register with the city, testers need TCEQ licenses, and gauges need annual calibration reports filed with Houston.
- Backflow testing in PhoenixPhoenix backflow rules: assemblies tested at least yearly, 60 days to test after the reminder letter, then a 72-hour disconnection notice. Who needs one at home.
- Backflow testing in PhiladelphiaPWD backflow rules: test at installation, after any repair and yearly by a City-certified technician, file Form 79-770 within 48 hours.
Sources (1)
- Salt Lake City Public Utilities, Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention · checked 2026-10-03