Testable backflow assemblies that protect a South Carolina public water system must be tested by a certified tester after installation and before the customer uses the service, then at least once a year. That floor comes from state drinking water rules. Greenville Water, Spartanburg Water, and Easley Combined Utilities each run their own cross-connection programs on top of it, so the notice you get, the form you file, and the late-fee clock can differ by utility.
What the state rule actually says
South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) requires every public water system to keep a cross-connection control program. The program tracks where assemblies sit, what type and size they are, and the annual test results. Assemblies used in the state must appear on SCDES’s approved list, and testing must be done by a state-certified tester.
Under R.61-58.7(F), when a double check valve assembly (DC), pressure vacuum breaker (PVB), or reduced pressure principle assembly (RP) protects the public system against backflow from a customer’s service:
- A certified tester tests it after installation and before the customer uses it.
- Except for limited residential-irrigation cases called out in the regulation, each of those assemblies is tested at least once annually.
- The public water system must receive a written report of the inspection and test from the certified tester.
- Any assembly is tested again immediately after repairs of any kind.
SCDES also publishes the current list of approved backflow prevention assemblies.
Greenville Water: annual tests, mailed notices, and a firm late window
Greenville Water’s backflow prevention page states that customers whose service presents a backflow hazard must install a device or assembly and have it tested annually under SCDES and Greenville Water standards. Greenville Water does not install or test the assemblies. Certified testers upload results through Greenville Water’s portal. New testers email a photo of their certification to bfp@greenvillewater.com.
The details live in Greenville Water’s Cross Connection Control Manual (updated November 10, 2025):
- New testable assemblies are tested upon installation and before use. The installer has a certified tester run the test and forward the report. Greenville Water must receive that report within 10 days of starting water service.
- Existing testable assemblies are tested at least once a year. Greenville Water mails a notice 45 days before the due date. The customer has the test completed within 45 days of the scheduled due date.
- There is a 15-day grace period after the due date for a passing test, or a replacement device plus a passing test.
- A third notice at 15 days late informs the customer of non-compliance. Greenville Water may test the assembly and charge a $500 non-compliance fee to the account. If the device is non-compliant, Greenville Water may hire a third-party vendor; repair costs go on the account.
- Customers who do not return completed reports within the 60-day period described in the manual are treated as noncompliant, with administrative action that can include discontinuance of service.
Residential irrigation is a special case in Greenville. New residential irrigation systems use a dual check on the meter setter (non-testable). Existing residential irrigation DCVAs are being phased toward those dual checks. If an existing DCVA is not replaced with a dual check within fifteen years of the policy’s effective date, Greenville Water requires it to be tested at that point and once every fifteen years afterward by a DHEC-certified tester. That is not the same yearly cadence as commercial RP, DC, and PVB work.
Spartanburg Water: annual commercial tests and short repair clocks
Spartanburg Water says certain commercial and industrial backflow assemblies must be tested annually by an SCDES-certified tester. Residential customers on ¾″ to 1″ services typically get a residential dual check installed by Spartanburg Water. Commercial, industrial, and multi-dwelling sites get a testable assembly based on the degree of hazard.
The Spartanburg Water Cross Connection Control Manual (revised June 4, 2026) spells out the annual cycle:
- All existing approved assemblies, excluding low-hazard residential lawn irrigation, are tested annually (or more often if Spartanburg Water or the state requires it).
- Customers get a Tier 1 notice 30 days before the due date. The due date is the last day of the month.
- The customer must have an approved SCDES-certified tester complete the test by that due date and transmit a compliance report to Spartanburg Water within 7 days of the test date.
- If no passing report arrives within 14 days after the due date, a Tier 2 letter starts another 14-day clock. A Tier 3 letter follows, after which Spartanburg Water may hire a certified tester (labor, parts, and an administrative fee on the bill) or, if access is unavailable, suspend service.
- On a failure that cannot be repaired immediately, the tester returns the failed report the same day. Repair or replacement, retest, and a passing report are due within 10 business days of the failure unless Spartanburg Water grants a written extension requested within 3 business days.
- Non-compliance handling can include Spartanburg Water testing an accessible assembly and adding its costs plus a $50 administrative fee to the water bill.
High-hazard residential lawn irrigation that uses a reduced pressure assembly still needs annual testing under the manual. Low-hazard residential lawn irrigation protected only by a dual check follows the dual-check replacement schedule tied to meter change-outs, not the annual tester path.
Spartanburg Water publishes its current Backflow Prevention Assembly Field Testing and Maintenance Report as a PDF. Incomplete or illegible reports are rejected.
Easley Combined Utilities: annual testing, confirm the current filing route
Easley Combined Utilities’ Water page explains backflow and notes that SCDHEC regulations require, as a minimum, dual check valve backflow assemblies on residential lawn sprinkler systems. Customer notices from Easley have required annual testing of backflow prevention devices, including lawn irrigation systems, by an SC DHEC-certified tester, with results returned to the utility by a stated deadline.
Easley’s public water page does not currently spell out the full submission path the way Greenville’s portal link does. Before you file a real report, confirm with Easley Combined Utilities which route and signature policy they accept this season. Their main office is at 110 Peachtree St, Easley, SC 29641, phone 864-859-4013.
Who counts as a certified tester?
SCDES certifies testers. The initial course is a multi-day classroom and wet-lab program with written and practical exams. A certified tester’s license expires every three years. Recertification requires a 25-question written exam and successful tests on a double check, a pressure vacuum breaker, and a reduced pressure assembly. The tester’s differential gauge must be accurate within 2% of full scale or ±0.3 psid. SCDES does not offer reciprocity recertifications; renewals go through an SCDES recertification center or the full state workshop again.
What property managers and contractors should do with the notice letter
- Read the utility name and due date first. Greenville’s mailed schedule and Spartanburg’s end-of-month due date are not interchangeable.
- Hire a current SCDES-certified tester. Ask for the certification category and expiration date before the appointment.
- Leave repair time in the window. A fail is not the end of the process. Greenville expects a same-day failure report when parts are on order, then an immediate retest after repair. Spartanburg’s 10-business-day repair clock is short.
- Use that utility’s published form or portal. Greenville wants portal uploads. Spartanburg wants its field test report filled out completely. Easley wants you to confirm the current path before you assume fax, email, or drop-off still apply.
- Keep your own copy. The utility’s received report closes the compliance file, not a draft PDF on your phone.
Where Psid fits (and where it does not)
If you already record RP, DC, or PVB readings in the field, Psid fills the published test report PDFs for Greenville Water, Spartanburg Water, and Easley Combined Utilities so you can review, sign, and submit them yourself. It does not replace a certified tester, approve an assembly for the utility, or file the report for you. Pricing is a 14-day free trial, then Solo at $49 per month or $470 per year.
The state baseline is annual. The letter on the account tells you which Upstate utility’s clock you are on.
Questions
Does South Carolina require annual backflow testing?
For double check valve assemblies, pressure vacuum breakers, and reduced pressure principle assemblies that protect a public water system, state drinking water rules require a certified tester to test the assembly after installation and before use, then at least once a year. Your local water utility’s cross-connection program sets the notice schedule, forms, and deadlines you actually work under.
Who can test a backflow preventer in South Carolina?
Testing must be done by a state-certified backflow prevention tester. SCDES runs the certification course and renewals. A tester’s license expires every three years and renewal includes a written exam plus hands-on tests on an RP, a DC, and a PVB with the tester’s own differential gauge.
Are residential irrigation dual-checks on the same annual schedule?
Often no. Greenville Water and Spartanburg Water both use non-testable residential dual checks for many low-hazard lawn irrigation setups, and those devices are not on the same annual tester schedule as commercial RP, DC, or PVB assemblies. Always read the letter or notice for that account.
What happens if a Greenville Water customer misses the test window?
Greenville Water’s Cross Connection Control Manual says customers must have the test made within 45 days of the scheduled due date. After the due date there is a 15-day grace period. A third notice at 15 days late can bring a $500 non-compliance fee, and Greenville Water may have a third-party vendor complete the test with costs applied to the account.
How fast must a failed Spartanburg Water assembly be fixed?
Spartanburg Water’s manual requires the tester to return a failed report the same day when the assembly cannot be repaired on the spot. The assembly must be repaired or replaced, retested, and a passing report submitted within 10 business days of the failure, unless Spartanburg Water grants a written extension.