City water utility · Colorado
Backflow testing in Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Utilities's rules: who must test, when it's due, testers, filing and penalties.
Businesses and apartment buildings must test backflow assemblies every year. Irrigation is due by July 1, inside-use and fire sprinkler assemblies by October 1. Certified testers file online with SwiftComply at no charge. A missed test brings a $405 fine per assembly and a possible shut-off.
- Who
- Businesses: every year
- Lawn sprinkler systems: every year
- Fire sprinkler lines: every year
- Apartments and condos: every year
- Homes (other than sprinklers): every year (some)
- Due
- Irrigation assemblies must be tested, and the result filed, by July 1 each year.
- Testers
- Colorado Springs Utilities's list (web page)
- Filing
- Your tester files online in SwiftComply. Fee: No fee.
- If late
- Water can be shut off. Fine for missing the annual test, per backflow assembly: $405.
Who must have a backflow test
Businesses and apartment buildings must have backflow assemblies on their water connections and test them every year. Single-family homes need an assembly only when Colorado Springs Utilities finds a hazard. Test a new assembly when it is installed, and again after any repair or replacement. A high hazard can mean more frequent tests.
- BusinessesRequiredupon installation and every year after
New business connections get a reduced pressure (RP) assembly. Existing sites need one where the utility finds a hazard.
- Lawn sprinkler systemsRequiredevery year, by July 1
Covers business and apartment irrigation, including a line that serves both irrigation and indoor use. A dedicated irrigation tap can stay shut off instead of being tested each year. A certified tester must be on site to test when the water is turned back on.
- Fire sprinkler linesRequiredevery year, by October 1
Fire suppression (fire sprinkler) assemblies. The utility has a separate test form for fire lines.
- Apartments and condosRequiredevery year; July 1 for irrigation, October 1 for inside use
- Homes (other than sprinklers)Someevery year once an assembly is required
Single-family homes need an assembly only where the utility finds a hazard.
Assemblies tested: Reduced pressure assembly (RP or RPZ), Double check valve assembly, Pressure vacuum breaker. What these are
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
When the test is due
Irrigation assemblies must be tested, and the result filed, by July 1 each year. Assemblies for inside (domestic) use and for fire sprinklers are due by October 1 each year. A new assembly is tested when it is installed.
Notices: Colorado Springs Utilities tracks each assembly and sends a notice when a test is due. If you have an assembly and got no notice, call the Backflow Prevention Program.
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
Finding a tester
Pick a tester from the registered backflow testers list on the utility's backflow program page. The tester must hold an ABPA or ASSE certification and have a SwiftComply account for Colorado Springs Utilities, because every test is filed online. You may test your own assembly only if you are a certified tester and the utility has your certificate on file.
Web page
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
Filing the test report
- Who files
- Your tester
- How
- Online in SwiftComply
- Deadline
- Within 5 days after the test
- Fee
- No fee
- Form
- Test report form
Every test goes in through SwiftComply. Paper reports are taken only by exception, so email the program first. A new or newly installed assembly must be surveyed by the utility's backflow team before a test can be filed.
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
If the test is late or fails
Missing the yearly test brings regulatory action: a $405 fine per assembly and possible suspension of water service until you comply. The utility says it first works with customers to get them compliant, and disconnection is the worst case. City Code allows fines up to $1,000 per violation per day.
- Fine for missing the annual test, per backflow assembly: $405
- Administrative fine allowed by City Code: Up to $1,000 per violation per day
Failed test: A failed assembly must be repaired or replaced and tested again. City Code gives 60 days from discovery, and more time only if the utility approves it before the 60 days end. The utility's 2026 service standards say 20 days, so do not wait. Only a certified tester may do the repair, and the report is due within 5 days.
Source: codelibrary.amlegal.com · checked Oct 18, 2026
For testers working in Colorado Springs
Testers must register with Colorado Springs Utilities before their reports are accepted.
- ABPA or ASSE backflow tester certification, uploaded to your SwiftComply account
- Current test kit information, uploaded to your SwiftComply account
- A unique email address for each tester or administrator
- Enter each test result within 5 days of the test
- A new or newly installed assembly needs a utility survey before you file a test
Register for a SwiftComply backflow account for Colorado Springs Utilities before you test. You get a welcome email in three to five business days. Then upload your current ABPA or ASSE certificate and your test kit details. Keep them up to date in SwiftComply. Using the portal costs testers nothing.
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
The rules behind it
- Colorado Springs City Code § 12.4.1210 and related backflow sections (Article 4, Water Code): Yearly tests, July 1 and October 1 dates, repair time, records within 5 days, fines and emergency suspension.
- Colorado Springs Utilities Water Line Extension and Service Standards (2026), section 2.7.N Backflow Prevention: Which connections need an assembly, yearly testing, and 20-day repair time.
- Colorado Regulation 11, section 11.39 (state backflow rule): State rule that requires yearly testing by an ASSE or ABPA certified tester.
Contact Colorado Springs Utilities
- Program
- Backflow Prevention Program
- Phone
- 719-668-4388
- [email protected]
- Run by
- SwiftComply · 619-304-6022
Source: csu.org · checked Oct 18, 2026
Backflow testing in Colorado Springs: questions
Do I need a backflow test for my sprinkler system in Colorado Springs?
Yes. Colorado Springs Utilities requires backflow assemblies on lawn sprinkler systems to be tested every year, by July 1. Covers business and apartment irrigation, including a line that serves both irrigation and indoor use. A dedicated irrigation tap can stay shut off instead of being tested each year. A certified tester must be on site to test when the water is turned back on.
When is my backflow test due in Colorado Springs?
Irrigation assemblies must be tested, and the result filed, by July 1 each year. Assemblies for inside (domestic) use and for fire sprinklers are due by October 1 each year. A new assembly is tested when it is installed. Colorado Springs Utilities tracks each assembly and sends a notice when a test is due. If you have an assembly and got no notice, call the Backflow Prevention Program.
How do I find a backflow tester in Colorado Springs?
Pick a tester from the registered backflow testers list on the utility's backflow program page. The tester must hold an ABPA or ASSE certification and have a SwiftComply account for Colorado Springs Utilities, because every test is filed online. You may test your own assembly only if you are a certified tester and the utility has your certificate on file.
Who sends the backflow test report to Colorado Springs Utilities?
Your tester files the test report in SwiftComply, within 5 days. Filing fee: No fee. Every test goes in through SwiftComply. Paper reports are taken only by exception, so email the program first. A new or newly installed assembly must be surveyed by the utility's backflow team before a test can be filed.
What happens if I skip my backflow test in Colorado Springs?
Missing the yearly test brings regulatory action: a $405 fine per assembly and possible suspension of water service until you comply. The utility says it first works with customers to get them compliant, and disconnection is the worst case. City Code allows fines up to $1,000 per violation per day.
What if my backflow assembly fails the test?
A failed assembly must be repaired or replaced and tested again. City Code gives 60 days from discovery, and more time only if the utility approves it before the 60 days end. The utility's 2026 service standards say 20 days, so do not wait. Only a certified tester may do the repair, and the report is due within 5 days.
Every fact on this page comes from Colorado Springs Utilities's own pages, forms or code, checked Oct 18, 2026. Rules change: your notice and the utility have the final word. Spot a mistake? Tell us.