Compliance by state

Where a Victorian backflow test report actually goes

In Victoria, testing a backflow prevention device is Backflow Prevention work under the Plumbing Regulations 2018, and only a plumber who also holds a Water Supply work registration and this class may carry it out against AS/NZS 2845. The finished report goes to the property's own water corporation, such as Greater Western Water or South East Water, not to a state building regulator.

Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.

Official name: Backflow prevention device test report
Regulator: Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria) sets the licence class; the property's own water corporation runs the reporting register
Who issues it: A plumber registered or licensed in Water Supply work who also holds the Backflow Prevention class
When: Testing a testable backflow prevention device listed in Table 4.4.1 of AS/NZS 3500.1, commonly containment devices on higher hazard connections
Deadline: No single statewide day count; each water corporation sets its own reporting window after the test, so confirm it with the corporation servicing the property
Lodgement: Directly with the relevant water corporation (for example Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water, Barwon Water, Coliban Water, Central Highlands Water, Goulburn Valley Water), usually through that corporation's own backflow register or form
Keep records for: Keep a continuous copy of every test result against the device's own test schedule; the tester keeps records under their Water Supply work compliance obligations
Penalty: Victoria has no single published dollar penalty for a missed backflow report. A plumber who tests without holding the Backflow Prevention class, or who does not meet AS/NZS 2845, is in breach of their registration conditions under the Building Act 1993 and the Plumbing Regulations 2018, which the Building and Plumbing Commission can act on; the water corporation can separately treat an unverified high hazard connection as a water supply risk.

Homeowner? If you own or manage a property with a fire service, irrigation system or commercial kitchen, ask your plumber which water corporation your backflow report goes to and keep your own copy alongside theirs, since the corporation, not a state regulator, holds the register for your address.

What the certificate must show

Property address and the device's exact location on site
Device make, model and serial number, and the hazard rating it protects against
Test date and result for each test point
Tester's name and registration or licence number
The water corporation account or property reference the report relates to

Produce it from a ServiceM8 job

In Settings > Forms > Add Form, create a form called Backflow test VIC.
Add Text questions for Device make/model, Serial number and Water corporation, so the job record carries the exact reporting destination.
Add a Choice question for Hazard rating and a repeatable section for each test point, with Number fields for the test result.
Add a Date question for Test date and a Signature question for the tester, capturing their registration number in a Text field.
Attach the form to a Backflow test job badge and require it before checkout.
Export the completed form as a PDF from the job diary and send it to the water corporation's backflow register the same day, rather than waiting for an invoice run.

Backflow Prevention is its own licence class, not part of general plumbing

Under Part 5 of the Plumbing Regulations 2018, Backflow Prevention work covers the repair, alteration, maintenance, testing or commissioning of a testable backflow prevention device, meaning one listed in Column 1 of Table 4.4.1 of AS/NZS 3500.1. A plumber cannot register in this class on its own. They first need to hold registration or a licence in Water Supply work, then add Backflow Prevention by completing the unit CPCPWT4022 (or its predecessor CPCPWT4022A). Testing itself has to meet AS/NZS 2845, on top of the compliance requirements that already sit under the parent Water Supply work class.

Victoria has no single statewide reporting portal

This is the part that trips up businesses used to a state regulator running the register. Victoria's water supply network is split between separate water corporations, including Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water, Barwon Water, Coliban Water, Central Highlands Water and Goulburn Valley Water, and each one runs its own backflow prevention program for the properties it services. There is no single day count set in state legislation for how quickly a report has to reach the corporation: some corporations publish their own containment policy documents that set out the reporting window and the containment device categories they require, and that window commonly runs to a few weeks after the test. Confirm the figure that applies with the water corporation servicing the specific property before you rely on it, because it is set by the corporation, not by the Building and Plumbing Commission.

What the report has to carry

Whichever corporation receives it, a backflow test report needs to identify the property and the exact device location, the device make, model and serial number, the hazard rating the device is protecting against, the test date and result for each test point, and the tester's name and registration or licence number. Keep a copy against the device's own test schedule, since containment devices on higher hazard connections are commonly tested annually and the corporation will expect to see a continuous record, not just the latest pass.

Sources

Backflow Prevention work is the repair, alteration, maintenance, testing or commissioning of a backflow prevention device that is capable of being tested and is listed in Column 1 of Table 4.4.1 of AS/NZS 3500.1, under Part 5 of the Plumbing Regulations 2018. Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), formerly the Victorian Building Authority, checked 25 Sep 2026.
To register in the Backflow Prevention class, a plumber must already be registered or licensed in Water Supply work and have completed the unit Commission and maintain backflow prevention devices (CPCPWT4022, formerly CPCPWT4022A). Compliance requirements include those for Water Supply work plus AS/NZS 2845. Building and Plumbing Commission (Victoria), formerly the Victorian Building Authority, checked 25 Sep 2026.
Victoria's water supply network is serviced by separate water corporations, each running its own backflow prevention program; corporations named for this include Greater Western Water, Yarra Valley Water, South East Water, Barwon Water, Coliban Water, Central Highlands Water and Goulburn Valley Water. Coliban Water publishes its own Backflow Prevention Containment Policy setting out its local reporting requirements. Coliban Water, checked 25 Sep 2026.