Washington Certification Services

Washington Certification Services

Backflow Assembly Tester

Professional Growth Requirement

  • One hour is allowed to demonstrate competency in testing the following four backflow prevention assemblies using field test procedures approved by Department of Health:
    • Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly (PVBA)
    • Spill Resistant Pressure Vacuum Breaker Assembly (SVBA)
    • Double Check Valve Assembly (DCVA)
    • Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA)
  • A malfunction may be simulated on the RPBA, DCVA, and PVBA. If a malfunction is simulated, it must be identified and diagnosed. There will not be a simulated malfunction on the SVBA.
     
Practical examination instructions are read aloud to the applicant prior to administration of the examination.
 

The practical examination will be administered following only the test procedures in the Manual of Cross Connection Control 10th Edition published by the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research.

For more information about the differences between the test procedures published in the 9th and 10th Editions of the manual, view USC's comparison chart.

The Non-Illustrated Field Test Procedures 10th Edition, excerpted from the Manual of Cross Connection Control 10th Edition, will be available at the examination site for use by applicants during examinations.

All equipment needed by an applicant to test assemblies is provided at the examination site:

  • Screw driver
  • Vertical tube
  • Bleed-off valve arrangement
  • Midwest 830 five-valve differential pressure test kit

A lighter model five valve test kit, Midwest 835, may also be available.

Applicants may use their own differential pressure test kit if they provide the examination proctor with a current certificate of accuracy or calibration report. The report must confirm that the field test kit was verified against a reference source that has a calibration traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and/or that the procedures used met criteria published in the 10th Edition of the Manual of Cross Connection Control.

WCS Examination Station

Example of applicant exam stations.

 
WCS Examination Supplies

Test kit, Non-Illustrated Field Test
Procedures, scratch paper, screw driver, bleed-off valve, & site tube

Department of Health (DOH) does not require any education, training, or experience to apply for a BAT professional growth examination and does not endorse any training course or sponsor.

Applying for and paying for a BAT examination does not enroll anyone in a training course, nor are BAT examinations in Washington administered as a part of any training course. Attending a training course does not guarantee that an applicant will pass the examination.

Applicants that want to attend training prior to taking an examination should contact the BAT training sponsor of their choice and select a course that most closely meets their needs. Washington trainers include WETRC, Evergreen Rural Water of Washington, and BMI (Portland, OR).

Applicants may also use the BAT Exam References as self-study material.

Examinations are not cancelled due to cancellation of a training activity. See Apply for a BAT Professional Growth Examination for transfer and cancellation policies.

The state examination proctor will provide the applicant with preliminary results at the end of the examination. The results are not considered official until they are evaluated and confirmed by Washington Certification Services, usually within ten (10) business days. Applicants will be notified of the official results by email.