ServiceM8 backflow test report form for testable devices

What the report has to prove

A backflow test report is short, but a water authority auditor reads it for three things: that the right device was tested, that the tester was entitled to test it, and that the readings support the pass. AS 2845.3 is the Standards Australia document for field testing and maintenance of testable devices, covering the backflow prevention devices in AS 2845.1 and the air gaps and break tanks in AS 2845.2. The form below is organised around those three questions.

The device comes first: type, make, model, serial number, size and location, because a report against the wrong serial is worthless. Sydney Water, for example, says it audits lodgements and may later ask for two photos for any containment test you registered: the device with its serial number clearly visible, and the test kit you used. The form makes both photos compulsory, so the evidence is on the job before you need it.

Readings by device type

Different testable devices are tested differently, so the form asks for the device type and then only shows the readings that apply. A reduced pressure zone device records the first check valve differential, the relief valve opening point and whether the second check held. A testable double check valve records a differential across each check. Readings are Number questions in kPa, not ticks, so a later tester can see a check valve drifting toward its limit year on year.

The pass limits sit in AS 2845.3 and the manufacturer's data, which are paywalled or model specific, so this page does not repeat them. Put your own limits in each question's note once, from your copy of the standard, and every tester sees them on site.

Who can test, and where the report goes

Testing is licensed work. In Sydney Water's area only licensed plumbers with backflow prevention accreditation can inspect, commission and test medium and high hazard devices, and it describes that accreditation as the unit Commission and maintain backflow prevention devices (CPCPWT4022). A device must be tested once installed and the report registered straight away through the authority's online system, and the plumber must tell the owner if the device needs testing every year.

Who receives the report depends on the state and the water authority, and some authorities, like Sydney Water, do not take reports for zone or individual devices at all. The form records which authority you lodged with and the reference number it returned, so the job shows the report reached someone.

Making the annual test automatic

Set each device up as an asset in ServiceM8 and run this form against it. The asset then carries its history, and next year's tester sees last year's readings in each question. A recurring job for the site brings the test back every 12 months without anyone keeping a spreadsheet.