Testers arriving at a service connection that cannot be out of service recognize the importance of two similar backflow preventers installed in a parallel configuration. In fact, some manufacturers produce a wye fitting for the inlet and outlet, so matched backflow preventers can be installed. Note...

BACKGROUND From time to time all backflow reps, no matter the manufacturer, all get the dreaded same phone call, “The backflow you shipped out to the jobsite is leaking, can you go fix it?” Having worked on all sides of this issue, I can tell you that statistically backflow assemblies leaving the manufacturing...

Perhaps the most important human need in our society is a supply of clean safe drinking water. It is also something that is commonly taken for granted by both the general public and by a large number of both tradesmen and utility officials. The number of backflow prevention devices installed improperly...

An exam score is a measuring stick. It lets the examinee (and instructor) know how well the individual understands the material. For now, let’s set aside the practical portion of the certification exam for a backflow preventer tester, and focus on the ‘fundamentals’ or written exam. Most tester...

If you are a certified tester, have you ever thought about putting yourself in the instructor’s shoes during a recertification session? If not, let’s get started with a brief example. “Good morning everyone. Welcome to the recertification session. I’m glad you were able to make it through...

How many of us remember US EPA’s rollout of the “Guidance Manual for Conducting Sanitary Surveys of Public Water Systems…” in April of 1999? At the time, many utilities believed it was a useful handbook toward discovering issues with the treatment and distribution systems. But unfortunately,...