Backflow Testing in San Francisco, California
AWWA-certified annual backflow testing across the City and County of San Francisco for SFPUC water customers, with specialty coverage for Financial District cooling towers, SoMa data centers, and UCSF/CPMC campuses.
- CCL: #1062017
- AWWA Backflow Tester Cert.: #15112
- AWWA Specialist Cert.: #03373
- Authorized under SF Health Code Art. 12A
Serving: Financial District, SoMa, Mission Bay, Mission, Potrero Hill, Dogpatch, Bayview-Hunters Point, Parnassus, Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Marina, Presidio, Richmond, Sunset, Treasure Island.
Do I need backflow testing in San Francisco?
If you have a backflow prevention assembly on an SFPUC service, yes. San Francisco is a consolidated city-county with a single retail purveyor (SFPUC), co-administered with SFDPH under SF Health Code Article 12A and SFPUC Section G.
“New assemblies must be tested immediately after installation and at least once a year thereafter.”
SFPUC manages ~178,000 water accounts citywide and is California’s third-largest municipal utility, serving the City and County plus 26 wholesale customers across Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties.
Not sure if your property is registered? Call (800) 684-8346 and we will confirm.
Water purveyors in San Francisco requiring annual testing
SFPUC is the sole retail potable purveyor. SFDPH and SF DBI co-enforce the cross-connection program.
| Purveyor | Service Area | Governing Rule |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) — Water Enterprise | City and County of San Francisco; Treasure Island / Yerba Buena Island (~178,000 water accounts) | SFPUC Rules and Regulations Governing Water Service — Section G (Res. 24-0252, eff. 9/9/25); SF Health Code Article 12A |
| SF Department of Public Health — Environmental Health Branch | Citywide co-administration (certifies testers; maintains authorized-tester list) | SF Health Code Article 12A, §§ 12A.1 – 12A.5 |
| SF Dept. of Building Inspection — Plumbing Division | Citywide plumbing-code enforcement for new installations and retrofits | SF Building Code § 603.0 — Cross-Connection Control |
“Failure to test as required may lead to termination of water service, fines, or both.”
Note: SFO International Airport is located in San Mateo County, not in the City and County of San Francisco, and falls under the San Mateo County cross-connection program. The SF Fire Department’s AWSS / EFWS grid is a non-potable firefighting system separate from the potable network.
How our testing process works
- 1
Schedule
Call (800) 684-8346, email, or use the scheduling form. We coordinate with building engineering or facility teams for high-rise access.
- 2
On-site test (10 – 20 minutes per device)
Certified test procedure with calibrated gauges. We handle rooftop, vault, and mechanical-room access.
- 3
If a device fails
We quote the repair on site and schedule the retest. We avoid starting work without your approval.
- 4
Report filed within 24 hours
We submit to SFPUC Water Quality Division (backflow@sfwater.org) and send you a copy with the invoice.
- 5
Annual reminder
We track your anniversary date and reach out ahead of SFPUC's annual notice letter.
Devices we test
ASSE 1013
Reduced Pressure Assembly (RPA / RPZ)
High-hazard: Financial District cooling-tower make-up water, SoMa data center cooling loops, hospital boilers and chillers, biotech lab process water, fire systems with additives.
ASSE 1015
Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA)
Residential fire lines, commercial irrigation without chemical injection, HOA landscape meters.
ASSE 1020
Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB)
Above-ground irrigation protection. Common on Sunset and Richmond residential and Golden Gate Park adjacent parcels.
ASSE 1056
Spill-Resistant Vacuum Breaker (SVB)
Modern PVB variant. Standard retrofit when legacy PVB reaches end of life.
California and federal compliance context
“The Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH) took effect July 1, 2024.”
178K
SFPUC water accounts across the City and County of San Francisco. SFPUC’s Hetch Hetchy aqueduct delivers water 167 miles by gravity from Yosemite.
Authorities: AWWA M14 5th ed., USC FCCCHR, EPA CCC Manual, H&S Code § 116800.
Neighborhoods we serve in San Francisco
Financial District & SoMa
Dense commercial cooling-tower load — Salesforce Tower (with on-site blackwater recycling feeding cooling-tower makeup), Transamerica Pyramid, 555 California, 101 California, Park Tower, 181 Fremont, Moscone Center, and the Union Square hotel cluster (Hilton, Marriott Marquis, Grand Hyatt, St. Francis). Every cooling-tower make-up connection requires an RP assembly.
Mission Bay
UCSF Mission Bay campus (UCSF Benioff Children's, Mission Bay hospital, Bakar Cancer Center) plus the Alexandria biotech cluster, 1725 3rd (Uber HQ). Extensive process-water, lab, and cooling-tower RP density.
Parnassus Heights & Inner Sunset
UCSF Medical Center flagship campus at Parnassus and Mt. Zion. Hospital boilers, autoclaves, dialysis, chillers all run through RP assemblies.
Potrero Hill & Dogpatch
Zuckerberg SF General Hospital (284 beds, only Level I trauma center for SF and northern San Mateo County) plus Dogpatch biotech and Pier 70 redevelopment.
Bayview-Hunters Point
Digital Realty SFO10 at 200 Paul Ave (up to 45 MW IT load) — massive cooling reject. Former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard redevelopment adds industrial legacy.
Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Chinatown
CPMC Van Ness Campus (274 beds), UCSF Health Saint Francis (900 Hyde), UCSF Health St. Mary's (450 Stanyan), Chinese Hospital (845 Jackson, Chinatown). Concentrated hospital RP load.
Western Addition & Presidio Heights
Kaiser San Francisco (2425 Geary Blvd), CPMC Davies Campus, Sutter Alta Bates facilities. Residential DC and PVB work dominates the non-hospital streets.
Richmond, Sunset, Excelsior, OMI
Predominantly residential neighborhoods. Mostly residential DC / PVB / SVB work on irrigation and fire lines.
Marina, Pacific Heights, Presidio
VA SF Health Care System (Fort Miley) is the anchor federal campus. Marina/Presidio waterfront cooling and commercial fire-line DCVA volume.
Treasure Island / Yerba Buena Island
SFPUC retail service (Treasure Island 2024 Annual Water Quality Report is SFPUC-published). Mixed commercial-residential redevelopment carries standard DC/PVB/RP compliance obligations.
Our credentials
California
CCL #1062017
Active contractor state license.
Backflow tester
AWWA Backflow Tester Cert. #15112
AWWA-certified tester.
Specialist
AWWA Specialist Cert. #03373
Cross-Connection Control Specialist.
Family-owned
Jesse Cuevas
Owner and lead tester.
Jesse Cuevas has 13+ years in backflow prevention, installation, testing, and repair, including commercial high-rise cooling tower and biotech process-water systems. We file directly with SFPUC Water Quality Division for every test and coordinate facility access through on-site engineering.
Frequently asked questions
How often is backflow testing required in San Francisco?
SFPUC requires annual testing on every registered backflow prevention assembly. Per the SFPUC program page: 'New assemblies must be tested immediately after installation and at least once a year thereafter.' Testing is also required after any repair or relocation.
Which water purveyors serve San Francisco?
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) Water Enterprise is the sole retail potable water purveyor for the City and County of San Francisco, including Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island. The SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) Environmental Health Branch co-administers the cross-connection program under SF Health Code Article 12A.
What happens if I don't test my backflow assembly?
Per SFPUC: 'Failure to test as required may lead to termination of water service, fines, or both.' We track annual anniversaries and submit test reports on your behalf within 24 hours of the test.
Who is legally allowed to test backflow devices in San Francisco?
Only a backflow prevention assembly tester certified by AWWA or the USC FCCCHR and authorized by SFDPH under SF Health Code Article 12A. Our lead specialist holds AWWA Backflow Tester Cert. #15112 and AWWA Specialist Cert. #03373. The company carries CCL #1062017.
Do Financial District cooling towers and SoMa data centers need backflow testing?
Yes. Cooling-tower make-up water tie-ins on Financial District and SoMa high-rises (Salesforce Tower, Transamerica, 555 California, 101 California, Park Tower, 345 California, etc.) and SoMa data centers (Digital Realty SFO12 at 365 Main, SFO10 at 200 Paul) are classic high-hazard cross-connections requiring reduced-pressure (RP) assemblies with annual testing.
How do I submit my SFPUC test report?
We file the certified test report form directly with the SFPUC Water Quality Division (backflow@sfwater.org, 650-652-3199) within 24 hours of the test, and send you a copy with the invoice. SFPUC sends customers an annual notice letter with the test due date.
Annual deadlines in San Francisco are enforced by SFPUC and SFDPH under SF Health Code Article 12A. Non-compliance can result in termination of water service and fines.
Mon – Sat, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Emergency response available.
Sources and authorities cited on this page
California state authority. CA SWRCB CCCPH, CA H&S Code § 116800.
Federal + standards. EPA CCC Manual, AWWA M14 5th ed., USC FCCCHR.
San Francisco authorities. SFPUC Cross-Connection Control, SFPUC Section G PDF (9/9/25), SF Health Code Art. 12A, SF Building Code § 603.0, SFDPH Cross-Connection Control.