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The City of Regina is committed to provide safe drinking water to all users.

An important part of managing our water quality is the Cross-Connection Control or Backflow Prevention Program. The following  provides a general explanation about backflow prevention. It is not intended to be used in place of Code requirements and professionals should always utilize the code when making design, installation, and/or maintenance decisions.

A cross-connection is a plumbing connection between the drinking water and an undesirable or unsafe source. It is important to remove or protect cross-connections in order to prevent backflow into drinking water. To ensure that potentially harmful cross-connections are avoided, the installation of backflow prevention devices in new homes and buildings is required.

Backflow is the undesirable reversal of water flow against the normal direction. This can happen due to a decrease in pressure on the water supply piping into a home or property. This decrease in pressure may occur due to a large water supply demand, watermain break or even operation of water main valves during construction or repairs restricting the flow and dropping pressure with increased demand. An example would be a hose attached to a pesticide spray bottle. If a drop-in water pressure occurs, the hose could act as a siphon and suck contaminants into your water supply.

Ultimately, backflow has the potential to cause the contamination of the water supply, posing a risk for anyone using the water for drinking, cooking, bathing or other purposes.

The Cross-Connection Control Program is an important component to ensure the safety of the water delivered to your home and business. The Water Bylaw, 8942 states that no person should connect or allow chemical, wastewater and any other liquid or foreign substance to enter the water system.

The program allows the City to enforce the necessary measures to address these potential threats. The requirements are mandated and determined from National Standards such as the National Plumbing Code of Canada and the CSA Group. The City may at its discretion make reasonable and justified modifications to these standards. The primary components of our program consist of:

Our Cross-Connection Control Inspectors conduct on-site inspections of buildings/properties/facilities on a continual basis.

These are often requested due to questions and concerns from building owners and operators to ensure they are meeting current requirements. Inspections may also occur with no notice if the City has reasonable suspicion of any risk of contamination to the water supply or where backflow prevention measures are believed to be absent.  The Cities Act authorizes a designated officer to enter that land or building at any reasonable time and carry out the inspection. The inspection in almost every case should not cause a disruption to the operation of the facility or require the interruption of the water supply. During the inspection, our team will require access to all areas with piping and equipment/fixtures connected to the water supply. Our inspectors will document and photograph a variety of items connected to or using water. Some examples are existing backflow prevention devices, water metres, plumbing fixtures, fire sprinkler systems and an assortment of equipment used for heating/cooling, food preparation, medical, sanitizing, etc. The information collected during the inspection is stored internally and will not be released to any third party without consent.  Any necessary requirements post inspection will be conveyed to you via a letter of requirements.

You can help prevent contamination from entering your home by following a few tips.

Learn more about what type of backflow prevention you require, testing requirements, record keeping and more.

What type of backflow prevention is required? The type and location of a backflow preventer is based on the hazard level of the facility or equipment, accessibility of the location, and the potential for changes within the building or property. Maintaining a physical unobstructed Air Gap (as per the National Plumbing Code of Canada) is the best defence from backflow conditions as there are no mechanical components. An example of an Air Gap is the distance from the end of your faucet to the highest point or “flood level” of a sink. Placing a hose below the flood level of any fixture negates this Air Gap. In some cases, an Air Gap is not practical or feasible due to potential of contamination (such as leaving a connected hose on the ground) or devices requiring constant pressure (such as a direct water feed to a boiler). These require the installation of a mechanical backflow prevention device. There are some options if you have concerns about backflow prevention within your facility. The City will perform inspections upon request and notify you in writing of the required devices for backflow prevention. Alternately, an AWWA licensed mechanical contractor may perform an assessment (at your discretion and expense) and communicate the findings to the City for review.

Why do I need to make changes? Nothing has happened or changed since the last building inspection. There are no “grandfather” clauses that apply to cross-connection control. Many customers believe that their facility is not subject to the regulations. Previous inspections have been successful, and the property was compliant at the time. Therefore, these “new rules” do not apply to me. That is not true. Any hazard must be isolated from the drinking-water supply regardless of when the hazard was first created or the site constructed. It is important to note that code requirements consistently change and your facility shall be evaluated based on current industry best practices and code requirements. Due to the severity of health risk, existing applications cannot remain unabated or under-protected simply because they were potentially approved under some former version of code or potentially approved by a former inspector.

Our business received a letter from the City. What does this mean and who should I contact? The Water Metering and Cross Connection Control Inspection Report lists all the necessary corrections noted at the time of the inspection. Should you have any questions regarding the contents of the letter, duration for requirements to be completed, budget restraints, or any other concerns, contact the Cross Connection Control program as soon as possible after receipt. Our team is practical and aware, so communication is crucial should you encounter any issues. Lack of communication and ignorance of the rules does not absolve you or your business from responsibility. Failure to comply with the requirements can lead to fines and a possible termination of water service to the property. An AWWA licensed mechanical contractor can perform the required corrections for your facility. This list of contractors is available below under Testing Requirements. Any AWWA licensed contractor is qualified to test backflow devices but that contractor should be knowledgeable of the mechanical systems connected to or associated with them.

Testing Requirements All backflow devices are required to be tested at least once per year. All mechanical devices are subject to wear and must be tested with calibrated equipment to ensure they are properly functioning. In addition, devices require testing upon installation or replacement and after cleaning, repair, or service. The testing/maintenance of these devices and all expenses are the responsibility of the business or the property owner. The testing of these devices must be performed by a Cross Connection Control Specialist certified by the American Water Works Association and licensed by the City of Regina. The list of companies below employ licensed AWWA testers and maintain calibrated test equipment. This list is for informational purposes only and does not represent or imply approval or endorsement by the City of Regina.

Record Keeping Copies of the Testing and Inspection report should be kept on location with the device(s) and made available upon request. A copy of the report should be provided to you by the licensed contractor performing the test. In addition, it is the responsibility of the tester to provide a copy of the report to the City.

To perform backflow prevention tests, plumbing companies must be certified by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and licensed by the City of Regina. Click more information to view the current list of companies.

We review these licences on an annual basis and update information as needed. We do not endorse the service providers listed and residents should complete their own research before engaging any services.

#1 Chinese Plumbing & Heating 306-209-1188

3 Star Plumbing and Heating  306-550-3150

AAA RP Testing and Service 306-533-5980

Able Plumbing and Heating Ltd. 306-569-0047

Ainsworth Plumbing and Heating Ltd. 306-721-7777

All-Premium Plumbing & Heating 306-525-9568

All Season Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration 306-540-5354

Apex Plumbing and Heating 306-789-2739

Aquarius Plumbing & Heating 306-949-2341

Arrow Plumbing and Heating 306-525-2324

Becker’s Mechanical Services Ltd. 306-535-1540

Black & McDonald Services 306-924-0885

Bright Plumbing and Heating 306-552-7777

Budget Plumbing & Heating 306-359-6688

Builder's Plumbing and Heating 306-565-8805

Capital Plumbing and Heating 306-201-7770

Christie Maintenance Services Ltd. 306-721-2229

Douglas Plumbing & Heating 306-539-7900

Edco Plumbing & Heating 306-721-2056

Ensign Home Comfort 306-450-0928

G & R Mechanical Contracting Ltd. 306-537-3645

Infinity Fire Protection 306-539-6993

Klempp Plumbing & Heating 306-731-1487

Marquardt Mechanical Ltd. 306-352-2789

Marshall Heating and Cooling 306-522-3000

Momentum HVAC Services 306-352-4822

Neighbours Mechanical Services 306-761-2905

Piller’s Plumbing and Heating 306-729-4201

Pow City Mechanical 306-565-0299

Premium Fire Protection 306-783-3473

Queen City Plumbing and Heating 306-533-5352

Ray’s Backflow Prevention 306-241-0315

Regina Plumbing and Heating 306-585-2000

Reinhart Plumbing & Heating 306-543-7400

Reliance MacKenzie Plumbing and Heating 306-522-0777

Sterling Plumbing and Heating 306-586-5050

Town-N-Country Plumbing & Heating 306-352-4328

Troy Life & Fire and Safety 306-543-8688

Tyco Integrated Fire 306-543-1314

Variety Plumbing & Heating 306-537-0413

Velocity Mechanical Solutions 306-591-7711

Viking Fire Protection 306-359-3473

Vipond Fire Protection Ltd. 306-359-1033

Welldone Mechanical Services Inc. 306-721-2744

Z&T Quality Home Services Ltd. 306-515-0685

Learn more about becoming a licenced tester, renewing your licence and more. 

How do I become licensed to test backflows? Prior to obtaining a license to test backflow devices in the City of Regina, you must be a certified as a Cross Connection Control Specialist by the American Water Works Association (AWWA). This certification is valid for 5 years on completion. Be advised that you must continue to recertify every 5 years prior to the certification expiry date. This course is offered through an accredited college or institution which can provide pricing and availability for upcoming courses. After receiving your AWWA certification, you may register with the City and apply for a testing license. Ensure the following is completed and included with your request for licensing:

Our program will issue a license that is valid for one year from the date of application. You will be required to renew this license annually providing your AWWA certification remains valid.

How do I renew my license? To apply for a renewal, you must provide:

A copy of your AWWA certification is not required (providing it is still valid) as this is already on file with our office. In order to maintain your license, our jurisdiction requires the tester to be active and test a minimum of 6 devices per year. If you have not tested 6 devices, some of the institutions that provide certification may allow testing of the devices used in the course.

How to submit test reports and license documents Our program is transitioning to paperless for submission of test reports. We are still accepting and providing paper copies of Testing and Inspection Reports and license documents. Documents must be signed and dated by the tester along with all pertinent information filled out or they will not be accepted.   Email submission of documents is by email to: crossconnection@regina.ca Mail submission of documents to: Cross Connection Control Program Queen Elizabeth Court II 2476 Victoria Avenue PO Box 1790 Regina, Sask S4P 3C8 Testing and Inspection Report

If you have questions or concerns about a potential or existing cross-connection contact our program. Rest assured our team will not disclose any concerns you bring forward about potential hazards without your consent (please be aware that in some situations a severe hazard may present where we must take immediate action).

Identifying and eliminating Cross Connections is crucial to prevent potential contamination of the public water supply.

If an incident such as this occurs resulting in the contamination of the public water supply the responsible party (owner/occupant) may be liable for the resulting consequences which can include property damage, sickness, and in some cases death. Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment requires the City to provide notice to consumers about the quality of water produced and supplied. The City is also required to provide information on the performance of its drinking water system and submit water samples. A variety of tests are conducted on a weekly and annual basis. This information is reported to our regulator, the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency.

For any cross-connection concerns use our online service request form.