Submitting Tests

Any tester performing testing in the City of Stillwater must first register with Safe Water Commission in order to submit tests for their customers.  Registration with Safe Water Commission provides testers access to an online portal which will be used to officially submit test reports.  Once registered, testers must submit all test results online via Safe Water Commission’s tester portal.  This ensures accurate data is captured and maintained so customer, testers and cities meet Minnesota backflow device testing regulations. Starting January 1, 2019, all backflow tests must be submitted via the Safe Water Commission tester portal. 

A tester must be registered on www.safewatercommission.com before submitting a test. In order to successfully register, a tester must have a valid Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry certification as a backflow prevention rebuilder (BF) or backflow prevention tester (BT).  Once a tester has registered on the site, a password will be provided so the tester can submit tests via the portal.  A fee of $16.95 is required for each backflow test and rebuild submitted via the site, and secure credit card payments will be processed online once the test is entered.

If you have any questions regarding the registration process, you can submit questions to info@safewatercommission.com or you can call customer service at (651)-319-9911.  The official Tester Registration page is located in the Testers menu of the Safe Water Commission web site as shown below.

Who needs a backflow device?

If you do have a residential backflow device, please visit www.safewatercommission.com and under the PROPERTY OWNERS tab click on SURVEY to provide additional information on your device required for the program.  Below is basic information from SWC about the backflow program:

Notice: All backflow devices within the city limits of Stillwater need to be inspected annually.

Effective January 23, 2016, the Minnesota Plumbing Code has adopted the national plumbing code, the 2012 Uniform Plumbing Code with Minnesota amendments.

According to the Code:

"Responsibility of the owner - The owner of the backflow prevention device is responsible for making sure the backflow device is tested upon installation and at least annually thereafter. The owner is responsible for arranging for a backflow device tester to test devices at least annually."

As a property owner in Stillwater, it is required for you to check to see if you have one or more of these important plumbing backflow devices on your property. If you do have one of these devices, you will need to have the device inspected annually by a certified ASSE Backflow testers.  For a list of licensed testers go to www.safewatercommission.com

These applications require backflow devices:

• Irrigation Systems, in ground (all homes

   & businesses)                          

• Commercial Boilers
• Cooling Towers
• Medical Equipment
• Laboratory Uses
• Commercial Water Treatment
• Vehicle Washing Facilities
• Facilities Commercial
• Fire Sprinklers
• Processing Plants