Glendale City Code 33-94: annual backflow test, records and shutoff

Section 33-94(a) says "The Customer shall test and service backflow prevention devices at least once a year." If the test shows the device is defective, the customer does whatever repair is needed to return it to satisfactory condition, including replacement or overhaul. The four subsections break down like this:

• (a) Yearly test and repair: at least once a year, with repairs after a failed test.
• (b) Between tests: if the city or the customer finds a defective device mid-year, the customer repairs it then. The code gives no fixed number of days.
• (c) Who tests: an individual "certified and approved to conduct such testing by the City," from a list the city keeps and gives out on request.
• (d) Records: results of all tests, servicing, repairs, overhauls and replacements are kept on forms the city approves, and a copy goes to the city promptly after each activity.

Section 33-96 is the enforcement side. If the city finds a required device is missing, was improperly tested or maintained, was bypassed or removed, or that an unprotected cross-connection exists, the water service "shall be disconnected" and "shall not be restored until the condition is remedied." Before that happens the city mails a notice giving 45 days to fix it, then a second certified-mail notice giving 15 more days. If the customer's water is contaminating the public supply, the city can disconnect without notice. Water service to a fire sprinkler system is not disconnected under this section, but ignoring the notice can lead to a misdemeanor citation, with each day a separate violation.

• Customer: the person who asked for and received water service. That is the account holder, which may be the tenant rather than the owner.
• Test and service: the code uses both words. A pass needs a certified tester's test. Servicing means the maintenance and repairs that keep the device working.
• Certified and approved: a tester on the city's list. The city's Backflow Tester Policy says testers renew their certification every three years and calibrate test gauges annually.

Every customer with a backflow device on a Glendale water service, new or existing. It does not cover a property with no required device. It also does not put the duty on the tester: the customer is responsible, though testers who submit incomplete or false reports face suspension from the city's list.

A restaurant that skipped the paperwork. The owner paid a tester in March, but the tester never uploaded the report. The city's system shows no test on file, so the owner gets a notice. The fix is asking the tester to submit it. The city's Backflow Tester Policy says reports are submitted online through the city's tester portal.

A tenant who never knew. A tenant holds the water account for a small shop. The notice goes to them, and the 45 days start on mailing. The customer is the responsible party, so the tenant needs the lease and the landlord involved fast.

The edge case: a fire line. A fire-only service is not disconnected under 33-96(b). The device still needs its yearly test, and an unremedied condition can bring a misdemeanor citation instead.

1. 1Find your last test date on the report. If it is older than a year, book a test now.
2. 2Pick a tester from the city's certified list (Cross Connection Control, 623-930-4138, backflow@glendaleaz.com).
3. 3Have the tester complete the city's report form and submit it, with the correct water meter number and device serial number. Incomplete reports are sent back.
4. 4If the device fails, repair or replace it. A replacement needs a backflow installation permit, then an inspection through the permit line at 623-915-3263 (code 237 domestic, 238 fire line, 245 hydrant meter, 246 irrigation).
5. 5If a notice arrives, count 45 days from the mailing date and act before the certified notice starts the final 15.
6. 6Keep your own copy of each report with your maintenance records.

• "The tester files it, so I am covered." The code puts the duty on the customer, so confirm the city received the report.
• "Replacing a failed device is just a repair." Glendale's tester policy requires a permit for replacements as well as new installs.
• "They will shut me off tomorrow." The code requires a 45 day notice and then a 15 day certified notice, except when contamination is found.
• "A fire line is exempt." It is exempt from disconnection, not from testing.

The rules are Glendale City Code Secs. 33-94 and 33-96 on Municode. The notice periods above come straight from Sec. 33-96 and are paraphrased here. The code text is the final word.