Most Orlando property owners have a backflow preventer somewhere on their water line. On a commercial property it’s usually a brass or iron assembly bolted to the wall near the water meter. On a home with sprinklers, it’s the device next to the irrigation valves. Most people drive past theirs every day without thinking about it — until the water utility sends a notice that the annual test is overdue.
Here’s what that device actually does, why Florida requires it to be tested every year, and what happens if you don’t.
What a Backflow Preventer Actually Does
Your water comes in under pressure. Normally it flows one direction — from the city main into your building. A backflow preventer sits on that line and makes sure water can only go one direction. If pressure ever drops in the city main — from a water main break, a fire hydrant being used, heavy neighborhood irrigation demand, or a utility repair — the preventer physically blocks water inside your building from being sucked back out into the public supply.
Without one, anything that’s connected to your plumbing can be pulled back into the drinking water that everyone around you uses. That means fertilizer from an irrigation line, chemicals from a car wash soap injector, waste from a utility sink with a hose dropped in it, or grease from a food service line.
Public water contamination events have happened. It’s the reason backflow protection exists — and the reason there’s an entire licensing system behind testing it.
Why It Has to Be Tested Every Year
A backflow preventer isn’t a solid piece of metal. Inside, it has check valves, springs, seals and sometimes a relief port. All of those parts wear out. Florida’s climate, the minerals in Central Florida water, and the constant pressure cycling all take their toll.
A device that was perfect last year may be quietly stuck open today. There’s no way to tell by looking at it — it has to be tested with calibrated gauges by a state-certified backflow tester. That’s why Florida law and every local water utility require certified annual testing on devices that protect the public supply.
Who Has to Have It Tested in Orlando
Different water utilities have slightly different rules, but in the Orlando area the following properties almost always require annual certified testing:
- Restaurants and commercial kitchens — the hookup to kitchen equipment is a classic contamination path.
- Any commercial building — offices, retail, warehouses, medical and dental offices.
- Irrigation systems — residential or commercial, especially any system that injects fertilizer.
- Fire suppression systems — the fire line itself requires backflow protection and annual testing.
- Car washes, auto shops, laundromats — anywhere soap, chemicals or waste water is near a potable connection.
- Homes with pools, wells or auxiliary water sources — depending on the utility.
If you’re not sure whether your property has one, look near the water meter or the irrigation valves — it’s a brass or iron assembly, usually with two brass ball-valve handles and one or two little test ports.
Who’s Allowed to Do the Test
Not every plumber can certify a backflow test. The person doing the test has to hold current Florida backflow tester certification and use calibrated test gauges. The report they fill out is a formal document that the water utility logs against your account. If the tester isn’t certified or the gauges aren’t calibrated, the utility won’t accept the paperwork.
At Choice Plumbing Orlando we are a state-certified plumbing and gas contractor (CFC1426822), and our testers hold current backflow certification. We perform the test, fill out the certified form, and file it directly with your water utility — OUC, the City of Winter Garden, Orange County Utilities, or whichever authority serves your property. You never deal with their paperwork.
📋 One Call Covers Test, Repair & Filing
If the device fails the test, we usually repair or replace it on the same visit, retest it, and file the passing report. You don’t schedule a second appointment and you don’t get a second bill. See backflow services or call (407) 422-7443.
What Happens if You Miss a Year
The exact process depends on the utility, but it generally looks like this:
- A reminder notice — usually a month or two before the due date, you’ll get a letter or email saying your annual test is coming up.
- A late notice — if the certified report doesn’t show up on their system by the deadline, the utility sends a late notice with a cure period (often 30 days).
- A final notice or shutoff warning — if the test still hasn’t been filed, you’ll get a shutoff warning.
- Water shutoff — if the warning is ignored, water service can be disconnected until a certified passing test is on file. There are usually fines and a reconnection fee on top.
For a restaurant, commercial building or irrigation system, water shutoff isn’t an abstract risk — it closes the business. The whole system is designed to make sure the test gets done every year.
If Your Device Fails the Test
Devices fail. That’s the whole point of testing them. The common failures are a check valve stuck partly open, a weak spring, or a worn-out seal in the relief port. Most of these are fixable with a factory rebuild kit that costs a fraction of a new device. Older or badly deteriorated units are better replaced outright.
Either way, the flow is: test, find the problem, quote the repair or replacement, fix it with your approval, retest the device, and file the passing report with the utility. A good testing company does all of that in one trip.
What It Costs
Costs depend on the device size, the type of preventer (RPZ, double-check, PVB, SVB), the number of devices on the property, and whether any repairs are needed. We don’t publish set prices because every property is different, but we give a written quote on-site before any paid work starts. For new installs and large replacements, 0% financing is available with a soft credit check.
Our Free Reminder Service
When Choice Plumbing tests your backflow, we log your due date and call you the following year before it expires — so you never get surprised by a late notice from the city. No fee for the reminder, no sign-up. You just keep getting called.
Schedule a Test or Get a Quote
If your backflow test is coming up, overdue, or you’re not sure when it was last done, call us and we’ll check your utility’s records and quote the test on the spot. See the full list of services on our backflow testing page, or call (407) 422-7443 — answered 24/7, no voicemail.