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Backflow Testing — We File the Compliance Report for You

Armor Pro Services performs annual backflow testing across San Antonio and Bexar County, confirming your backflow preventer is protecting the SAWS water supply and filing the TCEQ-required compliance report on your behalf. We're TX-licensed under RMP #36282, fully insured, and locally owned — serving homeowners and commercial properties in San Antonio, Alamo Heights, Schertz, Converse, and Helotes. Got a SAWS backflow notice? Call 210-212-7667 to get scheduled, tested, and certified.

What Your Backflow Notice Actually Requires

The notice you received comes from San Antonio Water System (SAWS). It's not optional. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules require annual backflow preventer testing for any property with a cross-connection risk: irrigation systems, fire suppression lines, commercial food-service connections, and certain residential configurations all qualify. The notice gives you a compliance window — typically 30 to 60 days from the date printed. Miss that window and you're looking at two consequences: a monetary fine and, in some jurisdictions, interruption of water service until compliance is confirmed. SAWS has enforced both. Don't wait until the last week to schedule — certified testers book up fast when compliance season peaks. The notice will reference your specific backflow preventer by account number and device location. Hold onto it. When Armor Pro arrives, we'll need that account reference to pull your device record and file the report under the correct utility account number.

How Backflow Testing Works — Step by Step

Here's exactly what happens from the moment you call to the moment your compliance confirmation lands: Step 1 — Scheduling. You call 210-212-7667. We confirm your utility, device type, and access requirements. Most residential appointments are set within one to three business days. Step 2 — On-site arrival. A licensed Armor Pro technician arrives with a calibrated differential pressure gauge — a Field Test Kit that meets ASSE 1012, 1013, and 1015 standards. No calibration, no valid test. We carry properly calibrated equipment on every truck. Step 3 — Isolation and test. We isolate the device from the water supply, attach test fittings to the test cocks on your assembly, and record differential pressure readings at each check valve and relief valve. For a reduced-pressure zone (RPZ) assembly, we're verifying that the differential pressure relief valve opens at the correct threshold and that both checks are holding. Step 4 — Pass or fail determination. Pass means your device is performing within spec and the water supply is protected. Fail means at least one component isn't holding the required pressure differential. We tell you on-site, in plain language — not in a mailed letter three weeks later. Step 5 — Report submission. We complete the state-required test report form and submit it directly to SAWS. You don't fill out a form. You don't mail anything. We handle it. Step 6 — Your confirmation copy. You receive a copy of the completed test report for your records. If your utility issues a digital compliance confirmation, we'll confirm that transmission was accepted before we leave the job.

What Happens After a Failed Test

A failed test is not a catastrophe. It's a repair job. Every competitor on the first page of Google skips this section entirely — which is why first-time notice recipients assume a failure means they're in serious trouble. They're not. Here's the honest pathway: If your device fails, Armor Pro documents the specific component that failed — first check, second check, or relief valve on an RPZ assembly — and provides a repair quote on the spot. Most repairs involve replacing worn seals, springs, or check discs. We carry common repair kits for RPZ assemblies, double-check valve assemblies (DCVA), and pressure vacuum breakers (PVB) on the truck. Once the repair is complete, we re-test the device immediately on the same visit when possible. A passing re-test generates a new, clean test report. That report is what gets filed with the utility — not the original failure. If the device is too corroded or damaged to repair cost-effectively, we'll tell you straight. Replacement is sometimes the faster and cheaper long-term path. We won't push a repair when a replacement is the right call. The re-test report is submitted under the same utility account and compliance tracking number as your original notice. The utility marks your account compliant. That's the end of the compliance loop — no lingering flags, no second notices.

We File the Compliance Report for You

This is the thing no competitor bothers to explain clearly, and it's the thing that matters most to the person holding a utility notice they don't understand. After every backflow test — pass or fail-and-repair — Armor Pro completes the Texas-required backflow preventer test and maintenance report (the form SAWS and TCEQ require) and submits it directly to SAWS on your behalf. We confirm receipt before we leave the job. You receive a copy for your files. The utility receives the original. Your account is marked compliant before we drive away. You don't mail anything. You don't log into a portal. You don't call the utility. For commercial properties with multiple devices or annual reporting obligations tracked by a facilities manager, we can provide a summary report package covering all devices tested on a given visit — date, device location, serial number, test result, and filing confirmation — formatted for your records.

Backflow Testing Cost Factors

Honestly, any company that posts a single flat price for backflow testing without knowing your device type and property configuration is guessing. The factors that actually affect your cost: Device type. An RPZ assembly requires more test steps than a PVB and takes longer on-site. A double-check valve on a fire suppression line has different test cocks and access requirements than a standard irrigation PVB. These differences affect labor time. Number of devices. Commercial properties often have multiple assemblies — one per irrigation zone, one on the fire line, one on a process water connection. Each device is a separate test and a separate line on the report. Access conditions. A device installed in a pit with standing water, behind locked mechanical room doors, or at height requires more time and sometimes equipment. A device with corroded test cocks that won't open cleanly adds time too. Test-only versus repair-and-retest. If the device passes, you pay for the test and the filing. If it fails and we repair it on the same visit, the repair parts and labor are added. Re-testing after repair on the same visit is typically included — not billed as a second full test. Call 210-212-7667 for a straight answer on what your specific device and property configuration will cost. We don't make you wait for a written quote to get a ballpark.

Types of Backflow Preventers We Test

Reduced-Pressure Zone Assembly (RPZ / RPZA): The most protective device type, required for high-hazard connections including chemical injection systems, boilers, and some irrigation systems with fertilizer injectors. Has two independent check valves and a differential pressure relief valve that vents to atmosphere if either check fails. Most commonly found in commercial applications, but increasingly required for residential irrigation in newer SAWS service areas. Double-Check Valve Assembly (DCVA): Two independent check valves in series, no relief valve. Required for low-to-moderate hazard connections including standard commercial irrigation and fire suppression systems where the water source is potable. Pipe pressure testing during the test verifies both checks hold independently. Pressure Vacuum Breaker (PVB): The most common device on residential irrigation systems. Must be installed at least 12 inches above the highest downstream outlet. Simpler test procedure but requires confirmed elevation compliance — a PVB installed at the wrong height is a compliance failure regardless of how well the valve itself functions. Atmospheric Vacuum Breaker (AVB): The simplest device — no test cocks, tested by observation and pressure check only. Not acceptable for continuous-pressure applications. If your system has AVBs and you're running the irrigation on a timer or a zone valve, you likely have a code issue independent of the annual test.

Residential vs. Commercial Testing Differences

Residential backflow testing is straightforward. One device, typically a PVB on the irrigation mainline or an RPZ if SAWS required the upgrade. One test, one report, one filing. Most residential tests are completed in under 45 minutes on-site. The homeowner doesn't need to be present as long as the device is accessible — we can coordinate key or gate access in advance. Commercial testing is a different scope. Multiple devices across multiple systems — irrigation, fire suppression, process water, HVAC makeup water — each with its own test record and reporting requirement. Some jurisdictions require commercial facilities to test on a fixed calendar date tied to the building's original permit. Failing to test all devices listed on the utility's asset record — not just the ones you know about — results in a partial compliance flag. For commercial property managers: Armor Pro can conduct a device audit before the testing window opens to confirm every assembly on your property is inventoried. We've found devices in mechanical rooms, buried in landscaping, and behind drywall that no one on staff knew existed. Finding them before the compliance deadline is a lot better than getting a non-compliance notice because a device no one knew about wasn't tested. Licensed under TX #36282, fully insured, and available for commercial contracts with scheduled annual testing windows — call 210-212-7667 to set up a commercial account.

SAWS Backflow Testing Requirements

Annual testing is required for every San Antonio property with a cross-connection control device on file with SAWS. The mandate comes from TCEQ Chapter 290 cross-connection control rules and is enforced locally by SAWS. SAWS issues compliance notices by mail with a 60-day response window. Non-compliance results in fines and potential service interruption — both have been enforced in recent cycles. The notice references your specific account number and device location; you'll need that reference when you call to schedule. We serve homeowners and commercial properties across the SAWS service area: San Antonio, Alamo Heights, and surrounding Bexar County. For properties in Schertz, Converse, or Helotes that fall under SAWS or a neighboring district with similar TCEQ-aligned requirements, the process is the same — we test, we file with the issuing district, and you get a copy of the report.

What to Verify Before Hiring a Backflow Tester

This matters. An uncertified tester can hand you a piece of paper that says your device passed — and your utility will reject it. You'll still be out of compliance, still facing fines, and you'll have paid for a test that doesn't count. Before you hire anyone, confirm: Texas plumbing license: Backflow testing in Texas must be performed by a licensed plumber or a licensed backflow prevention assembly tester. Ask for the license number. Ours is TX #36282 — look it up at the TCEQ license verification portal. Utility-approved tester status: SAWS maintains an approved tester list. Filing a report from an unlisted tester is the same as not filing at all. Calibrated test equipment: The differential pressure gauge used for testing must be calibrated on a documented schedule. Ask when the gauge was last calibrated. If the tester can't answer, walk away. Report filing included: Ask explicitly whether they submit the report to the utility or hand you a form to mail yourself. Some companies charge extra for submission. Armor Pro submits as part of the service — no add-on fee. We don't subcontract. Our licensed team shows up on every job — the person you talk to on the phone is connected to the person testing your device.