City water utility · Oregon
Backflow testing in Salem, OR
City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program)'s rules: who must test, when it's due, testers, filing and penalties.
Test your backflow assembly every year, within 60 days of the notice the City sends in your compliance month. An Oregon Health Authority certified tester files the result online with your yearly pin. No report in 60 days brings a 72-hour shut-off notice.
- Who
- Lawn sprinkler systems: every year
- Homes (other than sprinklers): every year (some)
- Businesses: every year (some)
- Due
- Each assembly has a compliance month.
- Testers
- Hire a tester certified by the Oregon Health Authority.
- Filing
- Your tester files online in SpryBackflow. No filing fee listed.
- If late
- Water can be shut off.
Who must have a backflow test
Salem requires every backflow assembly to be tested each year. Homes need an assembly only if there is a real or possible cross-connection hazard, most often an underground sprinkler system, a well, a pool or a boiler. Businesses are set case by case.
- Lawn sprinkler systemsRequiredevery year
The assembly stays on the test schedule even if you never run the sprinklers. Only a physical disconnect of the system, with a plumbing permit and a City inspection, ends the testing.
- Homes (other than sprinklers)Someevery year
Only homes with a hazard such as a well, a pool or a boiler. You must tell the City when you install an assembly.
- BusinessesSomeevery year
City cross-connection staff judge the hazard during plan review and set what each business needs.
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
When the test is due
Each assembly has a compliance month. The City sends a notice in the first week of that month, and the test is due within 60 days. A reminder goes out if the City has no report after 30 days.
Notices: The City mails the notice to the person on the utility account in the first week of the compliance month. If that person is a tenant, the owner also gets a copy. The letter has a yearly pin, highlighted in yellow, that your tester needs. Put your email on file to get a message when the City verifies your test.
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
Finding a tester
Hire a tester certified by the Oregon Health Authority. Salem keeps no tester list of its own and does not do tests. Give your tester the yearly pin from your letter, because they need it to file the report. You usually do not need to be home. The City puts typical prices at about $30 to $50.
City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program) does not test assemblies itself; you hire a tester.
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
Filing the test report
- Who files
- Your tester
- How
- Online in SpryBackflow
- Fee
- None listed by the utility
Testers must file in SpryBackflow with the customer's yearly pin. The City does not take reports by fax, email or in person. City staff check each report, then the tester and the customer (if their email is on file) get a confirmation. Call the program to check that your report arrived. Oregon rules also require the tester to send the report within 10 working days.
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
If the test is late or fails
If the City has no test report after the 60-day period, it delivers a 72-hour notice of water disconnection. If no test has been scheduled when the 72 hours end, the water is shut off. Service returns once the City has a valid report.
Failed test: If your assembly fails, have it repaired or replaced and retested within 30 days.
Rule: Salem Revised Code 72.190
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
For testers working in Salem
Testers must register with City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program) before their reports are accepted.
- Oregon Health Authority certified Backflow Assembly Tester
- Copy of your OHA certification
- Gauge calibration form
- A customer's yearly pin for each assembly you test
Create an account in SpryBackflow with your registration details and a customer's pin. Upload your OHA certification and your gauge calibration form. City staff approve the account, then you get an email link to set a password. You must file every report in SpryBackflow.
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
The rules behind it
- Salem Revised Code 72.190: Requires a backflow assembly on home and business water services that could contaminate the City's water, tested every year
- OAR 333-061-0070: State cross connection control rule behind the yearly test
Contact City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program)
- Program
- Cross Connection & Backflow Prevention
- Phone
- 503-361-2212
- [email protected]
Source: cityofsalem.net · checked Oct 18, 2026
Backflow testing in Salem: questions
Do I need a backflow test for my sprinkler system in Salem?
Yes. City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program) requires backflow assemblies on lawn sprinkler systems to be tested every year. The assembly stays on the test schedule even if you never run the sprinklers. Only a physical disconnect of the system, with a plumbing permit and a City inspection, ends the testing.
When is my backflow test due in Salem?
Each assembly has a compliance month. The City sends a notice in the first week of that month, and the test is due within 60 days. A reminder goes out if the City has no report after 30 days. The City mails the notice to the person on the utility account in the first week of the compliance month. If that person is a tenant, the owner also gets a copy. The letter has a yearly pin, highlighted in yellow, that your tester needs. Put your email on file to get a message when the City verifies your test.
How do I find a backflow tester in Salem?
Hire a tester certified by the Oregon Health Authority. Salem keeps no tester list of its own and does not do tests. Give your tester the yearly pin from your letter, because they need it to file the report. You usually do not need to be home. The City puts typical prices at about $30 to $50.
Who sends the backflow test report to City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program)?
Your tester files the test report in SpryBackflow. Testers must file in SpryBackflow with the customer's yearly pin. The City does not take reports by fax, email or in person. City staff check each report, then the tester and the customer (if their email is on file) get a confirmation. Call the program to check that your report arrived. Oregon rules also require the tester to send the report within 10 working days.
What happens if I skip my backflow test in Salem?
If the City has no test report after the 60-day period, it delivers a 72-hour notice of water disconnection. If no test has been scheduled when the 72 hours end, the water is shut off. Service returns once the City has a valid report.
What if my backflow assembly fails the test?
If your assembly fails, have it repaired or replaced and retested within 30 days.
Every fact on this page comes from City of Salem Public Works (Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention Program)'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.