Backflow Testing in Chapel Hill, NC

Signs it's time to get backflow help

• A reminder that the yearly test on your sprinkler or pool assembly is coming due
• Last year's tester reported a failure and the device was never rebuilt
• Water seeps from the relief port or the brass body after the irrigation season starts
• You're adding an in-ground sprinkler system, a pool or an auto-fill line
• You just bought a house with irrigation and no test record came with it
• The assembly sat uncovered through a hard freeze and now drips

How OWASA handles backflow in Chapel Hill

Orange Water and Sewer Authority supplies drinking water to Chapel Hill and Carrboro from University Lake and Cane Creek Reservoir, treated at the Jones Ferry Road plant. Its cross-connection rules are short and firm: a backflow device is mandatory on any property with an irrigation system or a swimming pool, and whoever has a device must get it tested every year by a tester OWASA has certified. OWASA's backflow staff answer questions at 919-537-4251.

The device belongs to the owner. OWASA calls the pipe between its distribution system and the house your private service line, so the assembly on that side, and any repair or replacement it needs, is yours to arrange.

Town permits come into play too. Chapel Hill's Trade Work permit covers installing, extending, repairing or altering plumbing, and the Town lists irrigation systems among the work it applies to. If you're putting in sprinklers or relocating an assembly, expect the job to go through the Town's OpenGov portal. Homes in planned areas like Meadowmont and Southern Village often came with irrigation from the builder, while about 35% of the town's housing dates from before 1980.

What changes the cost

• Visit type. A routine annual test is quick. A failed device that needs parts and a retest takes more time.
• Assembly design. Reduced pressure assemblies have more internal parts to inspect than double check valves.
• Freeze damage. A split body usually means a new assembly rather than a rebuild kit.
• Location. A device buried in shrubs or set low in a box adds labor.
• Permit work. New installs or relocations may need a Trade Work permit from the Town.

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who serves Chapel Hill. Tell them whether you need the yearly test, a rebuild or a new device, and ask whether they hold OWASA's tester certification if you want the test handled in one visit. If the device is spraying, close the irrigation shutoff while you wait.