Annual Testing Interval and a Failing Reduced-Pressure Assembly
A property manager oversees a 40-unit apartment complex with a 4-inch reduced-pressure principle assembly at the domestic service and a 2-inch double check valve on the fire-sprinkler line. The RPZ was tested 14 months ago and passed; the double check was tested 11 months ago and passed. During a routine inspection, the tester finds the RPZ relief valve opens at a differential of 2 psi and the second check holds only 0.8 psi. The property manager says the building has had no complaints and asks whether the test can be deferred until the next scheduled maintenance in three months, since shutting down water would inconvenience tenants. The local ordinance requires annual testing of both assembly types and immediate repair or replacement of a failing assembly, with notification to the water purveyor within 5 business days. The tester is not the repair technician.
1. Determine the compliance status of each assembly and whether deferral is permissible. Cite the reasoning that applies regardless of jurisdiction-specific ordinance numbers.
Read the worked answer
Both assemblies are out of compliance, for different reasons.
RPZ: The relief valve opening at 2 psi differential is below the typical minimum (about 5 psi), and the second check holding 0.8 psi is below the typical 1.0 psi minimum. Either failure alone makes the assembly fail. Because it is a high-hazard assembly protecting a domestic supply, a failed RPZ means the premises has no valid high-hazard protection. The annual interval has also lapsed (14 months). Deferral is not permissible: the ordinance requires immediate repair or replacement, and the tester cannot simply retest later.
Double check: It passed 11 months ago, so it is within the annual interval and currently compliant. However, the fire line assembly must still be tested on schedule and any failure reported. No action is needed now beyond scheduling the next annual test.
The 'no complaints' argument is irrelevant. Backflow prevention is preventive; the absence of symptoms does not show the assembly works. The inconvenience of a shutdown does not override a health-hazard failure. The correct sequence is: isolate and tag the RPZ, notify the water purveyor within the required window, arrange repair or replacement by a qualified technician, retest after repair, and submit the test report.
2. The tester is not the repair technician. Describe the proper division of roles and the documentation that must follow the failed test.
Read the worked answer
Separating testing from repair is good practice and often required to avoid conflicts of interest. The tester's job is to test, record, and report - not to repair the assembly or certify their own repair.
Tester responsibilities:
- Record the as-found readings (relief differential 2 psi, second check 0.8 psi) on the test report.
- Mark the assembly as failed and, if the ordinance allows, tag or lock it out of service.
- Notify the property manager and the water purveyor within the required 5 business days.
- Recommend repair or replacement without performing it.
Repair technician responsibilities:
- Perform the repair or replacement using approved parts.
- Provide a repair record describing what was done.
Post-repair:
- A tester (ideally independent of the repair) retests the assembly and documents passing readings.
- The passing report is submitted to the purveyor and retained by the property.
Documentation should include the assembly make, model, size, serial number, location, test date, tester certification number, gauge calibration information, as-found and as-left readings, and the repair description. The property manager should keep copies for the required retention period and ensure the next annual test is calendared.