FAQ
I Just Bought a House in New Jersey — What Do I Need to Know About Backflow Prevention?
Buying a home in New Jersey comes with a checklist of new responsibilities — and backflow prevention compliance is one that many new homeowners discover only after receiving their first compliance notice from NJ American Water or their local MUA. This guide gives new New Jersey homeowners a complete orientation to everything they need to know about backflow prevention from day one of ownership.
If you’ve already received a compliance notice, jump straight to our guide on what to do if you received a backflow compliance letter. Otherwise, read on for the full picture.
What Transfers with the Property
When you purchased your New Jersey home, you inherited all of the property’s plumbing infrastructure — including any backflow prevention devices installed on the property. You also inherited all of the compliance obligations that go with those devices. Backflow compliance is a property obligation, not a personal one. Even if the previous owner never received a compliance notice (or did and never resolved it), you are now the responsible party.
Step 1: Find Out If You Have a Backflow Device
Your first task is to determine whether your property has a backflow preventer installed, and if so, where it is and what type it is. The most common location for residential devices in New Jersey is outside the home, near the irrigation system’s main supply connection. Our guide to how to tell if your home or business has a backflow device walks you through every location where devices are commonly found and explains how to identify them by sight.
Step 2: Check for an Irrigation System, Pool, or Other Cross-Connection
Even if you can’t find a device, you may have a cross-connection that requires one. If your property has any of the following, a backflow preventer is almost certainly required: an in-ground irrigation or sprinkler system, a swimming pool or hot tub with a potable water makeup connection, a fire sprinkler system, or any other equipment connected to both potable water and a non-potable source. See our guides on irrigation system requirements and pool and spa requirements for specifics.
Step 3: Find Out When the Device Was Last Tested
New Jersey requires annual certification testing of all testable backflow devices. If you can’t confirm when the device was last tested, treat it as overdue. Check with your water utility (call NJ American Water or your local MUA and ask for your cross-connection control compliance record) to see what test report history exists for your property.
If the last test was more than 12 months ago — or if there’s no record at all — you need to schedule a test immediately. The cost is typically $150–$250 for a residential device. See our full guide on how often backflow preventers must be tested in New Jersey for all the compliance details.
Step 4: Schedule Your Annual Test
Contact a certified New Jersey backflow prevention specialist — not a general plumber — to schedule your annual certification test. South Jersey Backflow serves all 21 New Jersey counties and can typically schedule within 48–72 hours. We test the device, complete the official test report, and file it with your water authority. If the device fails, we repair it the same day in most cases. contact South Jersey Backflow.
Step 5: Set Up Annual Reminders
Once you’ve completed your first test as a new homeowner, set up a recurring annual reminder. The easiest approach: let South Jersey Backflow add your property to our annual reminder program. We’ll contact you each year when your certification is coming due, schedule the appointment, and handle all filings. You never have to think about it again until you hear from us.
What If the Previous Owner Didn't Have a Device (and Should Have)?
If your property has an irrigation system, pool, or other cross-connection but no backflow preventer is installed, you need to arrange installation as soon as possible. This is not grandfathered — you are now in non-compliance, and your water utility will eventually send you a notice if they identify the unprotected cross-connection during a compliance sweep. The cost of installation is typically $300–$800 for a residential device. See our backflow preventer installation, testing, and rebuilding costs guide for pricing details, and contact South Jersey Backflow to schedule an installation.
South Jersey Backflow: Your Partner from Day One
South Jersey Backflow works with new New Jersey homeowners throughout all 21 counties to quickly establish compliance and set up annual maintenance programs that protect their investment and keep them legal. We handle the entire process — device identification, testing, repair if needed, registration, and annual follow-up. Read what our customers say on our customer testimonials, and explore our complete FAQ section for answers to every backflow question.
Schedule Your Backflow Service Anywhere in New Jersey
South Jersey Backflow has proudly served residential and commercial customers across all of New Jersey since 2004. Our certified technicians provide annual backflow testing and certification, expert repairs and rebuilds, and protective backflow enclosures — all with transparent pricing, complete paperwork handling, and 24/7 emergency availability. Call (856) 291-6809 or contact us online to get started today.