Testing Requirements
Federal and state laws require all water providers to meet certain standards to obtain, treat, and deliver water to protect public health. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires all water providers establish a Cross-Connection Control and Backflow Prevention Program. Generally, this includes establishing requirements for the installation of backflow assemblies or devices preventing the flows or back-siphonage from unwanted connections that may threaten public health. TCEQ requires all backflow devices or assemblies:

Must be tested upon installation and at least once annually. Additional testing may be required depending on the health hazard.
Must receive a periodic Customer Service Inspection. The inspections are intended to identify and validate all device locations, their appropriateness, and determine if additional devices are required.
Hazards
The City will begin mailing informational letters to businesses and residences that are potential high hazard connections to the public water system in January 2016. Recipients who receive this notification have active water connections that may potentially contaminate the City’s water distribution system through improper cross-connections within structure plumbing and/or improperly functioning backflow prevention devices.

Types of high hazard locations include, but are not limited to:

Apartments
Commercial kitchens
Dry Cleaners
Funeral homes
Laboratories
Medical and Dental facilities
Multi-tenant centers
Restaurants
Schools
Septic system locations
Veterinary facilities
Water connections from outside water sources (e.g., amenity lakes, canals, and reclaimed water)
Well water locations
Additionally, effective April 1, 2016, the City’s third party service provider, BSI Inc., will begin mailing official notifications requiring annual certification of applicable backflow assemblies for these locations. Archived backflow certifications have been sent to BSI for their database. If a certification has been completed and submitted to the City within the past twelve months, BSI will schedule the location’s next annual testing accordingly.

Program Implementation
Implementation of this program is mandated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Compliance verification will be scheduled by the Building Official to review location’s backflow requirements.

Contact the City’s Building Department Inspector, Ralph Blanco, at 281-554-1420 or email BPAT with questions and/or concerns.

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If you are a water customer that had your backflow prevention assembly device tested but you've received an overdue notice, please visit the BSI Tracking website and use your CCN to verify whether your test results have been submitted. If you are still showing as non-compliant, you'll want to contact your testing company to have them submit your test results. Test results can only be submitted online via the BSI website by certified backflow prevention assembly testers.

League City residents are responsible for meeting the annual test requirement for backflow prevention devices. Backflow testing is the owner’s responsibility and is paid for by the owner. Additionally, owners are required to pay a one-time registration fee of $35 for each backflow device.

All repairs, replacements, or overhaul assemblies must also be performed by licensed backflow prevention assembly tester and permitted by the City. View an up-to-date list of companies and testers (PDF).

Failure of an owner to have the annual backflow testing performed and reported to the City through BSI Online will result in an escalated enforcement measure that may include termination of water service and assessment of $40 processing fee per City ordinance.

Property owners may delegate testing activities to tenants, site managers, or property managers; however, the property owner is responsible and will be held accountable for compliance in enforcement proceedings. Correspondence and enforcement notifications will be addressed to the party receiving the water bill for the address with the non-compliance.

Owners should remind their testing company to adhere to the following procedures when submitting backflow assembly test reports.

The City of League City has established a Backflow Testing Program to help assure the backflow prevention devices protecting the City water system from potential health hazards are tested annually.

The program requires property owners maintain responsibility for ensuring their backflow prevention device is in good working order and providing annual test reports as proof of compliance.

The City of League City uses a third party, Backflow Solutions Inc., to maintain electronic records of backflow testing information. Backflow test reports and tester licensing and gauge information are entered by testers or testing company representatives online via the internet in the BSI database. BSI sends testing due and over-due notices to customers with the last tester of record listed on the letter as a convenience. Testing is due on the same date every month and not a year from the last test date.

Contact BSI by phone at 800-414-4990, email BSI, or mail it to:
P.O. Box 246
Worth, IL 60482

Support
Contact the City’s backflow team with questions or concerns by emailing BPAT.

Reference
Video Link (AWWA)
Introduction Letter (PDF)
Texas Administrative Code – Title 30, Part 1, Chapter 290 – Public Drinking Water
City of League City - Ordinance Section 22-280 - Cross-connection control program

Certified backflow prevention assembly tester registration fee: Annual registration fee of $75 for TCEQ approved testers shall be a nonrefundable fee to show proof of their current TCEQ license and testing equipment in accordance with current TCEQ regulations. Register now using the Tester Registration Form (PDF). All backflow assembly test reports for existing and replacement backflow devices must be submitted via the BSI Online Backflow Tracking System.

All testing companies are required to submit test reports within 48 hours of test date. Failure to do so will result in enforcement notification of the customer regarding the non-compliant status of their device. If not entered online, the ultimate escalation of enforcement is termination of customer’s water service.

Testers and testing companies are reminded to obtain the Customer Confirmation Number from your customer located at the top of the reminder or overdue letter received. This number is needed by the backflow tester in order to access records in the BSI Online System. Contact BSI if the number is lost or unknown.