Backflow Prevention & Testing

State Certified Backflow Inspectors

Putman & Sons employs State Certified Backflow Inspectors who test, repair, and certify backflow prevention devices for residential and commercial properties throughout Metro Detroit. We handle the full cycle: device testing, any required repairs, and submission of completed test reports to your municipality.

Backflow prevention devices are required by the Michigan Plumbing Code (R 408.30701 et seq.) wherever a cross-connection exists between a potable water supply and a potential source of contamination. The most common residential application is lawn irrigation systems, which create a direct cross-connection between the municipal water supply and irrigation piping that may contain fertilizer, pesticide, or standing water with bacterial growth.

How Backflow Contamination Occurs

Water distribution systems rely on positive pressure to push water from the treatment plant through the municipal main and into your building. When that pressure drops — due to a water main break, fire hydrant use, or high-demand event — the pressure differential can reverse, pulling water backward through the system. Without a properly functioning backflow prevention device, contaminants from the non-potable side of the cross-connection can be siphoned into the drinking water supply.

This is not a theoretical risk. The EPA has documented hundreds of backflow contamination events across U.S. water systems, many caused by improperly maintained or untested prevention devices. Annual testing is the regulatory mechanism that ensures these devices will function when pressure reversal occurs.

Annual Testing & City Report Submission

Most Michigan municipalities require annual testing of installed backflow prevention devices by a certified tester. Putman & Sons handles the complete process:

1. Schedule testing — We contact you when your annual test is due, or you can call us to schedule
2. On-site device testing — Our State Certified Inspector tests each device using calibrated differential pressure gauges per ASSE 5110 procedures
3. Repair if needed — If a device fails testing, we repair or replace it on the same visit when possible
4. Report submission — We complete the required test report and submit it directly to your city's water department

Device Types We Test & Service

• Reduced Pressure Zone (RPZ) assemblies
• Double Check Valve Assemblies (DCVA)
• Pressure Vacuum Breakers (PVB)
• Spill-Resistant Vacuum Breakers (SVB)
• Atmospheric Vacuum Breakers (AVB)

Residential & Commercial Irrigation

Irrigation systems are the most common residential backflow application. When your sprinkler system is connected to municipal water, the backflow device at the point of connection prevents irrigation water — which may contain lawn chemicals, fertilizer runoff, or stagnant water — from being drawn back into your home's drinking water supply during a pressure drop event.

Commercial irrigation systems on larger properties (office parks, HOA common areas, municipal grounds) typically require RPZ assemblies rather than the simpler PVB devices used in residential applications. RPZ assemblies provide a higher level of protection but require annual testing and periodic relief valve service. We test and maintain both.