Backflow Testing in Santa Clara County, California
AWWA-certified annual backflow testing across every major Santa Clara County water retailer, with direct filing through SwiftComply, BSI Online, and city portals.
- CCL: #1062017
- AWWA Backflow Tester Cert.: #15112
- AWWA Specialist Cert.: #03373
- Cross-Connection Specialist on staff
- 10+ Santa Clara cities served
Serving: San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Milpitas, Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, Gilroy.
Do I need backflow testing in Santa Clara County?
If your property has a backflow prevention assembly (RP, DC, PVB, or SVB) on an irrigation, fire, or commercial service line in Santa Clara County, yes. The answer is the same whether your retailer is a city utility (San Jose Muni, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Gilroy, Morgan Hill) or an investor-owned utility (San Jose Water Company, Great Oaks, California Water Service) under CPUC Tariff Rule 16.
“Backflow testing is required by the State of California and San Jose Water Co., and it is done annually to ensure continued safety to the public water supply.”
Santa Clara County has an unusually fragmented retailer mosaic. Countywide wholesale and groundwater are managed by Valley Water (Santa Clara Valley Water District), which serves 1,300 square miles and 2 million residents, but drinking-water delivery is split across 13+ retailers. Each runs its own cross-connection program, with different deadlines and submittal workflows.
Not sure which utility governs your service address? Call (800) 684-8346 and we will identify the purveyor and the filing method before we roll a truck.
Water retailers in Santa Clara County requiring annual testing
Annual testing is universal across the county. What varies: the submittal portal, the deadline window, and whether you are dealing with a municipal code or a CPUC tariff rule.
| Retailer | Service Area | Governing Rule |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose Water Company (SJW) | Most of San Jose, Campbell, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Los Gatos, parts of Cupertino | CPUC Tariff Rule 16 |
| San Jose Muni Water | Alviso, Evergreen, Edenvale, North Coyote Valley | City of San José ESD program |
| Great Oaks Water Company | South San Jose: Blossom Valley, Santa Teresa, Edenvale, Coyote, Almaden | CPUC-regulated (tariff) |
| City of Milpitas | Milpitas | Milpitas Municipal Code § VIII-3-3.01 (Ord. 232) |
| City of Sunnyvale | Sunnyvale | Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 12.28 |
| City of Santa Clara Water & Sewer Utilities | Santa Clara (city) | City CCC program under CCCPH |
| City of Mountain View | Mountain View | City Water Division CCC program |
| City of Palo Alto Utilities | Palo Alto | CPAU CCC program, CCCPH-aligned |
| California Water Service (Cal Water) Los Altos Suburban | Los Altos, Los Altos Hills (portions), NE Cupertino | CPUC Tariff Rule 16 |
| City of Gilroy | Gilroy | City Water Division program |
| City of Morgan Hill | Morgan Hill | City CCC program |
“The City of Milpitas enforces the state requirement that water customers complete an annual performance test of their backflow prevention assemblies.”
Valley Water runs the county wholesale and groundwater system; it does not run a retail CCC program. Stanford University operates its own retail utility with a separate cross-connection program.
How our testing process works
- 1
Identify your retailer
We use the Valley Water retailer finder plus the service address to confirm the governing utility before scheduling. Same-week availability is typical across San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and Milpitas.
- 2
On-site test (10 – 20 minutes)
We run the certified test procedure on your assembly. Most residential and small commercial devices require a full water shut-off.
- 3
If a device fails
We quote the repair on site (commonly a rubber kit, check, or relief valve) and schedule the retest. We avoid starting work without your approval.
- 4
Report filed within 24 hours
Milpitas filings go through SwiftComply. Morgan Hill and Great Oaks accounts file through BSI Online. San Jose Water, San Jose Muni, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cal Water, and Gilroy accounts go through the utility's direct channel.
- 5
Annual reminder
We track your anniversary date and reach out ahead of time so you never face a non-compliance notice from your utility.
Devices we test
ASSE 1013
Reduced Pressure Assembly (RPA / RPZ)
Required for high-hazard applications including data center cooling-tower make-up water, biotech and semiconductor process water, boiler feed, and fire lines with chemical additives. The dominant device on Santa Clara industrial and hospital accounts.
ASSE 1015
Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA)
Low-hazard commercial irrigation, residential fire lines, and HOA landscape meters. Common on SJW, Great Oaks, and Cal Water residential accounts across San Jose, Saratoga, and Los Altos.
ASSE 1020
Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB)
Above-ground irrigation protection. Very common on Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy residential and small commercial landscape accounts.
ASSE 1056
Spill-Resistant Vacuum Breaker (SVB / SRVB)
Modern PVB variant with reduced nuisance spill. Common retrofit on Cupertino, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale residential irrigation where a legacy PVB has reached end of life.
California and federal compliance context
“On December 19, 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted the Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (CCCPH) with an effective date of July 1, 2024.”
227K
service connections operated by San Jose Water, serving over one million people across most of San Jose, Campbell, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, and Los Gatos. San Jose Water Company.
Additional authorities: the AWWA M14 Manual, 5th ed., the USC FCCCHR Manual 10th ed. field test procedures, the EPA Cross-Connection Control Manual (816-R-03-002), and CA Health & Safety Code § 116800 on local health-agency program authority.
Cities we serve in Santa Clara County
San Jose
Split between San Jose Water (roughly 227,000 service connections serving over one million people) and San Jose Muni (Alviso, Evergreen, Edenvale, North Coyote). Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Good Samaritan, and Regional Medical Center are concentrated RP-assembly accounts.
Santa Clara
Home to one of the densest data center clusters in the U.S. plus Intel Santa Clara, Applied Materials, and Kaiser Santa Clara. Cooling-tower make-up water is a core RP-assembly use case here.
Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale Municipal Water runs the CCC program under Municipal Code Chapter 12.28. Apple, LinkedIn, and NetApp campuses drive commercial irrigation and fire-line device density.
Mountain View
Google headquarters plus El Camino Hospital Mountain View. Recycled water in the North Bayshore area triggers additional cross-connection inspection requirements on top of annual potable testing.
Palo Alto
City of Palo Alto Utilities serves most residences; Stanford University operates its own utility for the Stanford campus. Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital are major hospital accounts.
Cupertino
Service is split between Cal Water (northeast), San Jose Water (south), and city-operated areas. Identifying the right retailer is step one because filing channels differ.
Milpitas
Milpitas enforces Municipal Code § VIII-3-3.01 and files through SwiftComply. A dense industrial corridor along McCarthy Boulevard and I-880 keeps RP volume high.
Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell, Monte Sereno
All on San Jose Water under CPUC Tariff Rule 16. Mostly residential DC and PVB work, with some commercial RP on Los Gatos medical and retail corridors.
Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill files through BSI Online. Wineries, mushroom growers, and equestrian facilities drive a notable share of PVB and RP work outside the city core.
Gilroy
Christopher Ranch and Olam food-processing operations make Gilroy a consistent commercial-RP market. The Gilroy Water Division runs the CCC program under CCCPH.
Our credentials
California
CCL #1062017
Active contractor state license.
Backflow tester
AWWA Backflow Tester Cert. #15112
AWWA-certified backflow tester in good standing.
Specialist
AWWA Specialist Cert. #03373
Cross-Connection Control Specialist certification.
Portals
SwiftComply + BSI
Active on both platforms for Santa Clara County filings.
Our lead technician is Jesse Cuevas, Cross-Connection Specialist with 13+ years in backflow prevention, installation, testing, and repair. We maintain active registrations on the portals used by Milpitas (SwiftComply), Morgan Hill (BSI Online), and Great Oaks (BSI), and we file directly through utility channels for the rest of the county. Field work is not sub-contracted.
Frequently asked questions
How often is backflow testing required in Santa Clara County?
Every major retailer in the county requires an annual test, aligned with the California State Water Resources Control Board Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook (effective July 1, 2024). San Jose Water states directly: "it is done annually to ensure continued safety to the public water supply."
Which water retailers in Santa Clara County require annual testing?
San Jose Water (CPUC Rule 16), San Jose Muni, Great Oaks Water, Cal Water Los Altos Suburban, Milpitas (MC § VIII-3-3.01), Sunnyvale (MC 12.28), City of Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto Utilities, Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Purissima Hills Water District all require annual testing. Valley Water is wholesale only and does not run a retail program.
Do data center cooling towers in Santa Clara need backflow testing?
Yes. Cooling-tower make-up water tie-ins are a documented high-hazard cross-connection and require a reduced-pressure (RP) assembly with annual testing under the retailer's program. Santa Clara city hosts one of the densest data center clusters in the U.S., so cooling-tower RP work is routine for us.
What happens if my device fails the test?
We explain the failure on site, quote the repair (commonly a rubber kit, check, or relief valve replacement), and schedule the retest. We avoid starting work without your approval. Under CPUC Tariff Rule 16 and the cities' municipal programs, the retailer can ultimately curtail service for uncorrected failures.
Who is legally allowed to test backflow devices in California?
Only a backflow prevention assembly tester certified by AWWA or the USC FCCCHR and listed on the applicable retailer's approved tester roster. Our lead specialist holds AWWA Backflow Tester Cert. #15112 and AWWA Specialist Cert. #03373. The company carries CCL #1062017.
How do I submit my test report in Milpitas or Morgan Hill?
Milpitas uses SwiftComply at milpitasca.c3swift.com; Morgan Hill and Great Oaks Water accounts use BSI Online. We hold active registrations on both platforms and submit certified test report forms within 24 hours of the test, with a copy sent to you along with the invoice.
Annual deadlines in Santa Clara County are enforced by each retailer under CPUC Rule 16 or municipal code. Non-compliance can result in service curtailment or penalty fees.
Mon – Sat, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Emergency response available.
Sources and authorities cited on this page
California state authority. CA SWRCB Cross-Connection Control Policy Handbook, CA Health & Safety Code § 116800.
Federal + standards. EPA Cross-Connection Control Manual, AWWA M14 5th ed., USC FCCCHR, ASSE International.
Santa Clara County retailers. Valley Water retailer finder, San Jose Water CCC, SJW CPUC Tariff Rule 16, Great Oaks Water, Milpitas CCC, Milpitas SwiftComply portal, Sunnyvale CCC, Sunnyvale MC Chapter 12.28, Cal Water CCC, Gilroy backflow, Morgan Hill CCC.