Southgate Water customers follow Denver Water's backflow program. We test, tag the assembly, and email the report to Denver Water.
Greenwood Village backflow rules at a glance
| Water provider | Southgate Water and Sanitation District. Denver Water manages the backflow program for Southgate customers. |
|---|---|
| Where Southgate serves | Parts of Centennial, Cherry Hills Village, Greenwood Village, and Lone Tree west of I-25, plus unincorporated Arapahoe and Douglas counties. Other addresses in these cities are on Denver Water directly or on other districts, so check your water bill. |
| Who needs an assembly | All commercial, industrial, domestic, irrigation, and fire line services, under Denver Water's rules. Homes are assessed by site hazard, for example a well or pond. Older properties aren't grandfathered. |
| How often | At installation (within 48 hours of a new install) and every year after. Irrigation assemblies are tested as the water is turned on; Denver Water's irrigation testing season runs May through September. |
| Who can test | A tester with ABPA or ASSE certification. Fire line assemblies also need the state's Fire Suppression System Contractor – Backflow registration. |
| Irrigation assemblies | An RP or a PVB. Double checks aren't allowed on irrigation. |
| How reports are filed | Emailed to Denver Water's Cross-Connection Control office on Denver Water's test report form |
| Failed test | Report it to Denver Water within 24 hours, at 303-628-5969 |
| If you ignore it | Southgate's rules allow it to shut off water until a required assembly is installed, tested, and maintained. Denver Water's policy is a $250 penalty after three unanswered notices. |
| Program contact | Denver Water Cross-Connection Control, 303-628-5969 · Southgate office, 303-779-0261 |
Summarized from Southgate Water and Sanitation District's published program information (source), checked October 2026. The notice from your water provider always has the final word on your due date.
Check which district you're on
The cities around the Tech Center are split between water providers. Your water bill names yours. In Lone Tree, Southgate serves west of I-25 and Parker Water & Sanitation serves east of I-25, which has its own rules: backflow testing for Parker Water customers. Parts of Greenwood Village are on Denver Water directly, which follows the same program: Denver Water backflow testing. Some Centennial addresses are on other districts, such as Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority or East Cherry Creek Valley. Send us a photo of your notice and we'll tell you where the report goes.
Denver Water's rules apply
Southgate buys its water from Denver Water and adopts Denver Water's operating rules and engineering standards, so the assembly types, test schedule, and report form are Denver Water's. The details are on Denver Water's backflow program page. If an assembly has to be replaced, Denver Water requires a licensed installer, and the new assembly has to be tested within 48 hours; we can do that test.
What we do on a Greenwood Village backflow test
- Confirm the assembly type, size, and serial number against your provider's records
- Test every check valve and relief valve with a differential pressure gauge calibrated October 2026 and traceable to NIST
- Tag the assembly with the service date, our business information, and the tester's certification number
- File the completed report the way Southgate Water and Sanitation District requires
- Send you a copy of the report, with photos
If the assembly fails
Most failures come down to a dirty or worn check valve, a tired relief valve, or a split rubber part. Those get cleaned or rebuilt and retested, usually in the same visit, after you approve the price. If the body itself is cracked, usually from a missed winterization, the assembly has to be replaced. Replacing an assembly is installation work, which in Colorado needs a licensed plumber; we'll tell you exactly what's needed and do the retest once it's in.
Before we come out
- Have the notice from your water provider handy, or send a photo of it when you book
- Tell us where the assembly is, and leave any gate unlocked or the mechanical room open
- For sprinkler assemblies, the water needs to be on. If the system is still winterized, we can do the spring startup and the test in one visit.
Not sure what kind of assembly you have? PVB vs. DCVA vs. RPZ →
Backflow testing nearby
Denver · Aurora · Thornton · Westminster · Arvada · Northglenn · Broomfield · Golden · Lakewood · Englewood · Commerce City · Wheat Ridge · Parker · Boulder · Louisville · Lafayette · Centennial · Commercial & HOA testing · For plumbing & irrigation companies · Every provider's rules
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