Colorado updates backflow prevention device requirements

A new law in Colorado will ease licensure requirements for professionals working on backflow prevention devices. 
New Colorado law removes plumber licensure requirement for inspection, testing and repair of backflow prevention devices, restoring access for landscape and irrigation professionals.

A new law in Colorado will ease licensure requirements for professionals working on backflow prevention devices, reversing a more restrictive policy passed last year and restoring access for many in the landscape and irrigation industries. 

H.B. 25-1077, signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on March 28, removes plumber licensure requirements for individuals who inspect, test or repair backflow prevention devices. The bill maintains licensure only for those who install or remove the devices. 

The legislation was recommended by the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee and received bipartisan support in both chambers. It reinstates flexibility for qualified landscape and irrigation professionals to perform critical services without the need for a plumbing license, which had created confusion and compliance challenges under previous law. 

Starting July 1, 2025, individuals who test or repair backflow devices must affix a tag indicating their credentials and the work performed. 

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Andrew Moberly, CLIA, CIC, CIT, CWM, CLVLT, of Hunter Industries has been working in the irrigation industry for 17 years.

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