Backflow Testing in Wheat Ridge, CO

What happens when you call

An independent plumber who works in Wheat Ridge will start with your provider. The city lists Consolidated Mutual, Valley Water, Denver Water, North Table Mountain Water and Sanitation District, Edgewater and Wheat Ridge Water District, and each sets its own cross-connection rules. Have your water bill handy. Then explain the device, whether it's on irrigation or another line, and whether your provider has sent a notice. If it has, the plumber can tell you whether they're set up to test and report for that provider.

Cost factors

• Your provider's requirements. Some want a filed test report; others may only need the device maintained.
• Repairs. Worn rubber checks and relief valves are common on older devices.
• Age of the tie-in. Retrofitting protection onto old piping takes more fitting work.
• Freeze damage. Cracked devices get replaced.
• Permits. The Wheat Ridge Building Division issues permits through its OpenGov portal.

Wheat Ridge water and housing

Wheat Ridge is a built-out first-ring suburb west of Denver, and its water map reflects decades of growth. Wheat Ridge Water District, a Denver Water master-meter distributor that has served the area since 1939, covers most of the city east of Independence Court, the area south of I-70 between Carr and Garrison, and Mountain View and Lakeside. Other parts of town are on one of the five other providers. Our fact sheet has no backflow program details for any of them, so we won't state a testing interval.

The housing is old: median build year 1965, with about three-quarters of homes built before 1980. Many of those houses near Anderson Park, Crown Hill Lake and along Kipling had sprinklers or garden lines added long after construction, sometimes without proper protection. The former "Carnation City" also still has large garden lots. Wheat Ridge Water District can be reached at 303-424-2844.

Clear Creek runs through the north side of the city, and cold air settles along it on winter nights. Older sprinkler tie-ins often lack a proper drain valve, so devices there are more likely to freeze full of water. A plumber can add a drain or move a device to a better spot while doing other work.

Checklist before the visit

• Find your provider's name on the water bill
• Locate the device, often near where irrigation leaves the house
• Have any provider letter or test history ready
• Know where the main shutoff and irrigation valve are