Backflow Prevention Device Installation in Portland, OR
We install the assembly your water provider asks for, and we'll tell you when you don't need one.
Do You Need a Backflow Device?
You need one when something connected to your drinking water could push or pull dirty water back into it. The Portland Water Bureau's backflow program lists the usual triggers at homes:
- A lawn irrigation system
- A boiler system
- A swimming pool, hot tub or spa with a piped fill line
- A fountain, fishpond or other water feature
- A private well or any other water supply tied into the same plumbing
- A home fire sprinkler system or solar heating system
Most people find out one of two ways. A letter arrives from the water provider saying a device is on file or should be, or a new sprinkler system, boiler or pool brings it up during permitting. Read the letter closely, since it usually says what's required and by when. If your home has none of the items above, you may not need a testable assembly at all, and the Water Bureau answers that question at 503-823-3256.
When You Don't Need a New Assembly
Before anything gets installed, rule these out. Each one can save you from paying for work your home doesn't need.
- You already have one. Irrigation assemblies are usually in a small in-ground box with a green lid near the water meter. If yours is there and working, you likely need a test, not a new install.
- The trigger is gone. If the old sprinklers were properly cut off and capped at the water line, there may be nothing left to protect. A closed valve doesn't count. Removing an assembly also needs Water Bureau sign-off, so call them before you assume.
- The letter is based on old records. A past owner's sprinklers or boiler can stay on file for years. Call the number on the letter and ask what they have on file and where they think it is.
- The hot tub is filled with a hose. Dropping a hose in and pulling it out is not a permanent connection, as long as the hose end stays above the water.
If someone tells you that you need a device, ask what it protects, who is requiring it, and which type the water provider accepts. If nobody can answer those, call the Water Bureau before you pay for an install.
Choosing the Right Assembly Type
The right assembly matches the risk of what's connected to your water and is one the water provider accepts. The Water Bureau says to buy only assemblies approved by the Oregon Health Authority. If your letter names a type, that's the one that counts.
- Pressure vacuum breaker (PVB): common on lawn sprinklers. It must sit above the highest sprinkler head, so it usually ends up above ground near the house.
- Double check valve assembly: two check valves in a row. It can go below ground in a valve box, so it often suits irrigation that runs downhill from the house.
- Reduced pressure assembly (RP): the heavy-duty option, typically used where chemicals are involved, like a boiler with treated water or a fertilizer injector on the sprinklers. Its relief valve is built to dump water, so it needs a spot where that water can drain without flooding anything.
Above-ground assemblies can crack if they freeze during a winter cold snap, so drain the irrigation in fall and cover the device. Cost climbs with the assembly type, larger pipe, a hard-to-reach spot, digging to a buried line, rerouting pipe to get the right height, and any drain or freeze protection the location needs. If you're planning a remodel soon, it can make sense to place the backflow assembly while the remodel plumbing is planned, so it isn't moved later.
Not sure which assembly your property needs?
Call (503) 594-4779. We answer 24 hours a day.
Installation and the Annual Test Are Two Jobs
Installation is plumbing work. Before an assembly goes in, the Water Bureau asks property owners to notify it at backflow@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3256 and get any required trade permits. We install the assembly at the right height, with shutoff valves on each side and the test ports facing out so a tester can reach them.
Testing is a separate job. Every assembly must be tested after installation and then every year by a state-certified backflow assembly tester, who sends the report to the Water Bureau. Annual testing isn't a service we offer, so line up a certified tester before install day. Once the bureau gets the first test report, it updates its records and starts sending yearly reminders. If an existing assembly fails its test, it needs a repair and a retest, and replacing it needs Water Bureau approval first.
What to Expect on Install Day
You get one price before work starts, and that's the price at the end of the job. A photo of the letter, the area where the assembly will go, and your sprinkler controller or boiler is often enough to price it before we come out. Before we arrive, find your main shutoff, turn the sprinkler controller off, clear a path to the work area, and fill a pitcher or two, since the water is off for part of the job.
When the water comes back on, faucets may sputter and the water can look milky for a minute, which is just air. Over the next day, run each sprinkler zone briefly, look at the new assembly for drips, and tell us if indoor pressure feels weaker than before. Wild Pine Plumbing is licensed, bonded and insured under Oregon CCB #249970. Military members, first responders and seniors get 10% off, and our main page lists every plumbing service we offer in Portland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about backflow prevention device installation in Portland
Do I need a permit to install a backflow device in Portland?
Usually, yes. Portland Permitting & Development lists installing a backflow device for a lawn sprinkler system as plumbing permit work, and the Portland Water Bureau says to notify it at backflow@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3256 and get any required trade permits before installing an assembly.
Who requires the backflow device, the city or my water provider?
State law and Portland City Code set the requirement, and the Portland Water Bureau runs the backflow program for its customers, including the letters and annual test reminders. If you're served by a different water district, its rules and letters apply.
Do you do the annual backflow test?
No. The annual test must be done by a state-certified backflow assembly tester, and it isn't a service we offer. Line up a certified tester before install day, since a new assembly needs its first test report sent to the Water Bureau.
Get a Backflow Installation Price Before We Start
Call (503) 594-4779 and send a photo of your water provider's letter and the setup. We answer 24 hours a day.
Ask about our 10% discount for Military, First Responders & Seniors.