Backflow Prevention Device Rules

New Rules, mandated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), require annual testing of all Backflow Prevention Devices used on lawn irrigation systems where an On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) is utilized.  This includes everyone in the Scenic Oaks and Country Estates subdivisions that utilize a central irrigation system.

A letter was sent with your August water bill outlining these new requirements.  If you did not see the letter or want to review it, you may see it by Clicking Here.

Your Backflow Prevention Device must be tested annually by a Backflow-Prevention Assembly Tester (B-PAT).  A list of licensed plumbers, irrigation specialists and other vendors that employ B-PAT licensed employees can be seen by Clicking Here.

The B-PAT tester will have to complete a form that must be turned in to The Oaks Water Supply Corp. (TOWSC) office on or before September 1, 2018.  This is not an option and failure to comply can and will result in a disconnection of your water service.  

Because many of the irrigation systems are old, we expect a relatively high rate of failures in the first year.  Therefore, it is important that you have your backflow device tested early.  If the device fails, you will need to have the faulty device repaired or replaced and retested by a B-PAT licensed tester.  It will probably save you money to hire a plumber that does both.  The cost can be on the high side so we strongly recommend that you not postpone it to the last few days.

The form that will need to be completed by the B-PAT tester and submitted to TOWSC, can be downloaded by Clicking Here.