Backflow Testing in Sandy Springs, GA

Signs your backflow assembly needs attention

• A notice from Atlanta DWM about a missing or overdue test report
• Brass body or test cocks weeping water near the meter box
• A sprinkler system you added or extended without a device on the line
• Low pressure at the sprinkler heads after a cold night
• A home office or small business run from the house that DWM may treat differently
• No record of who last tested the assembly when you bought the home

How backflow works on Sandy Springs water

Water and sewer in Sandy Springs come from two different agencies. The City of Atlanta supplies drinking water drawn from the Chattahoochee River, and Fulton County handles sewer. Backflow belongs to the water side, so Atlanta DWM's backflow compliance program sets the rules here, not the City of Sandy Springs.

DWM's program covers all commercial water customers plus some residential ones. Its examples are homes with irrigation systems and certain home-based businesses. The assembly goes on the customer's property, either near the meter box or just inside the building ahead of the first branch line. Only testers on DWM's registered list can submit results, and they file them through SwiftComply. DWM's page doesn't publish a retest interval, so ask DWM or the tester how often your assembly is due.

Many lots off Roswell Road and in neighborhoods like Riverside and Huntcliff have in-ground irrigation, which is the most common reason a Sandy Springs house ends up in the program. Because DWM is responsible only from the main to the meter, anything on your side, including the assembly, is yours to maintain.

What affects the cost

• A routine pass on a working assembly versus a failed one that needs parts and a retest
• Assembly type: reduced pressure assemblies have more internals than double check valves
• Freeze damage that cracks the body and forces a full replacement
• A device buried in shrubs or set deep in a meter-side box
• Permit and inspection steps if a new assembly is installed, since the city requires permits for most plumbing projects

What happens when you call

You'll be put through to an independent plumber who works in Sandy Springs. Say whether you need a test, a repair or a new device, and mention any DWM letter you received. If you want the test and the filing done in one visit, ask whether the plumber is on DWM's registered tester list. If the assembly is spraying, close the irrigation shutoff until help arrives.