Backflow Testing in Grand Terrace, CA

Signs it's time for a backflow visit

• A letter from Riverside Highland Water Company about a backflow test
• Water draining from an assembly while sprinklers and fixtures are off
• A vacuum breaker on a hillside irrigation system spraying when zones start
• Corroded unions or seeping test cocks on an older device
• Weak pressure on zones downstream of the assembly
• A property you just bought with irrigation and no test records

How backflow works in Grand Terrace

The City of Grand Terrace names Riverside Highland Water Company as the water company serving the city. A private water company sets its own customer rules, and the company's backflow requirements, intervals and forms can differ from the cities around it, so call the company before scheduling a test. Every California water supplier is required to protect its system from cross connections, so if the company asks for a test, it is a real requirement. Sewer is a separate matter here: Grand Terrace wastewater is treated at the City of Colton's water reclamation plant.

Grand Terrace is a small hillside city along I-215, known as the Blue Mountain City, with Blue Mountain to the east and the La Loma Hills to the west. Its homes are older than many in the region: about 56 percent were built before 1980, with a median build year of 1978. Sloped yards often mean irrigation systems with pressure vacuum breakers that must sit above the highest head, and units installed decades ago tend to leak once their seals harden. Businesses along Barton Road and the Agua Mansa industrial corridor are where commercial assemblies are most likely.

Cost factors

• Test or repair. A pass needs only the test and report; a failure adds parts and a retest.
• Device type. Vacuum breakers, double checks and reduced pressure assemblies each take different parts and time.
• Slope and access. Devices tucked into hillside planting take longer to reach and service.
• Old fittings. Corroded nipples and shutoffs may need replacing too.
• Permits. The City of Grand Terrace Building & Safety FAQ lists re-piping and fixture work among jobs that need permits, so a new or relocated assembly likely needs one; call Development Services at (909) 954-5181.

When you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Grand Terrace. Share the water company's notice if you have one, describe the device and where it sits on the lot, and say whether it's leaking now. If water is running, close the shutoff on your side of the meter until the plumber arrives.