Annual Tests and Repairs
Backflow Testing & Prevention in Roswell, GA
Annual testing, repair and replacement of backflow assemblies on Roswell irrigation, fire and commercial connections, with results submitted the way Fulton County requires.
- Certified testing
- Results submitted for you
- Repairs and retests
Backflow Basics
Your provider's letter tells you when your test is due.
Sound Familiar?
A Letter From the Water Provider Says Your Backflow Test Is Due
For most Roswell homeowners, that letter is the first time they hear the word backflow. It usually concerns the irrigation system. The assembly near the meter or beside the house that nobody has thought about since the sprinklers went in turns out to need a test, and there is a deadline.
Backflow testing and prevention covers the devices that stop water from flowing backward out of your property into the public supply. An irrigation line sitting in fertilized soil, a boiler loop, a pool fill or a commercial process line can all push or siphon contaminated water back if pressure in the main drops. The assembly blocks that. Roswell 24/7 Plumbing tests, repairs and replaces backflow assemblies across Roswell in 30075 and 30076.
Testing is quick when the assembly is accessible and working. Most of the work comes when it fails.
What Fulton County Requires
Fulton County runs a backflow prevention program for its water customers, which covers most of Roswell. According to the County, testable backflow prevention devices have to be tested, and repaired if needed, every year to confirm they work. The test must be done by a certified tester, who submits the results to Fulton County through SwiftComply.
The County also decides which type of device a property needs based on the degree of hazard, from low-hazard residential irrigation up to high-hazard commercial uses, and asks that containment devices sit as close to the service meter as possible. In Georgia, tester certification runs through the Georgia Association of Water Professionals.
If your water comes from the Roswell Water Utility instead, the same principle applies, but check the City's notice for your specific deadline and submission method. The same Fulton rules apply next door in Milton, which is also a Fulton County water city.
Assembly Spraying or Dumping Water?
Close the valve ahead of it and call. A failed relief valve needs a repair and retest.
Device Types
Common Backflow Devices and Where They Show Up
The device type determines how it is tested and what usually fails.
| Device | Typical use | What it protects against | Common failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure vacuum breaker (PVB) | Residential irrigation | Back-siphonage | Poppet or seat wear, freeze damage |
| Double check valve assembly (DCVA) | Irrigation, low-hazard commercial, fire lines | Backpressure and back-siphonage | Fouled check valves |
| Reduced pressure zone assembly (RPZ) | High-hazard commercial, boilers, some irrigation | High-hazard backflow | Relief valve discharging |
| Hose bib vacuum breaker | Outdoor spigots | Hose siphoning | Worn or missing |
An RPZ that dumps water from its relief port is telling you something is wrong, usually a fouled check valve. It needs a repair and retest, not a plug.
The Test
How an Annual Test Goes
- 1
Locate and access
Find the assembly and open any cover or box.
- 2
Test with a gauge
Measure check valve and relief performance with a test kit.
- 3
Repair if needed
Rebuild failed parts, then retest.
- 4
Submit results
File the report with the water provider.
Water to the protected system is off for a short time during testing. For irrigation, that means no watering during the visit. Remember the watering window too: under the Georgia Water Stewardship Act, outdoor watering for landscapes is limited to between 4 PM and 10 AM.
What to Do Before the Tester Arrives
These steps make the test quick and avoid a second trip.
- Find the assembly. Look near the meter and where the irrigation line leaves the house. Note its location for the dispatcher.
- Clear the box or cover. Remove mulch, soil or insulation covers so the test cocks are reachable.
- Keep the notice handy. The account number and due date on the provider's letter go on the report.
- Pause the sprinkler schedule. Water to the irrigation side is off during testing.
- Report any leaks. Water dripping from the assembly or its relief port usually means a repair will be needed.
If the assembly split in a freeze, say so when booking. It will need a replacement, not just a test.
Cost
What Affects the Cost of Backflow Work
The test itself is routine. Repairs and access vary.
Missing the provider's deadline can lead to follow-up notices, so book the test when the letter arrives. Commercial customers often schedule all assemblies at once, covered further on our commercial plumbing page.
Backflow test due? Call (770) 214-4545.
Questions
Backflow Questions From Roswell
If you are a Fulton County water customer with a testable backflow assembly, yes. The County requires testable devices to be tested annually, and repaired if needed, by a certified tester, who submits the results to the County through its SwiftComply system. Roswell Water Utility customers should check the City's requirements for their account.
Any home with sprinklers almost certainly has one. Check by the water meter, or wherever the sprinkler supply branches off the house plumbing, for a brass assembly with two shutoff handles and small test cocks, often above ground in a green box or insulated cover. Fire sprinkler systems and some pools also have them.
A certified backflow tester. In Georgia, tester certification runs through the Georgia Association of Water Professionals statewide program, and Fulton County requires results from certified testers.
It gets repaired, usually by replacing check valve rubber, springs or the relief valve, and then retested. If the assembly is old or badly worn, replacement can cost less than a rebuild.
Yes, and irrigation assemblies above ground are exposed. An insulated cover helps, and draining the irrigation system before a hard freeze protects the assembly. A split body after a cold snap is a common spring repair.
A simple hose bib vacuum breaker keeps garden-hose water from being siphoned back into the house supply, for example when a hose is left in a bucket of fertilizer. Newer frost-free sillcocks often include one, and swapping an old spigot is covered on our faucet repair page.
Sources for This Page
Testing frequency, certified-tester and SwiftComply submission requirements, and hazard-based device selection come from Fulton County Public Works' backflow prevention program pages. Tester certification references the Georgia Association of Water Professionals statewide program. Watering hours come from the Georgia Water Stewardship Act.
Written by the Roswell 24/7 Plumbing team and checked against the sources above. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.
Got the Backflow Test Letter?
Book the test, get repairs if needed, and have the results submitted.
Call (770) 214-4545