Digging and draining in Tacoma depend on the soil. Built on glacial drift above Commencement Bay and the Narrows, with steep bluffs on the Ruston Way side and the West End, a tideflat on the port side, and gulches like Puget Creek and Garfield Gulch cut into the hills. Basements in the North End sit in clay that holds water, and the gulches carry a lot of groundwater toward old sewers. It is about 35 to 40 minutes from Port Orchard across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, longer at the evening rush to Tacoma, a run we make often enough to know the roads, the water districts and the quirks of the housing.
Why backflow preventer installation is a little different in Tacoma
Water purveyors serving Tacoma run annual backflow testing programs, and the notices they send often leave homeowners unsure what device they actually need. We call the district, confirm the hazard classification, and install exactly what they will accept.
Water supply is the first question we ask on a Tacoma job. Tacoma Water, part of Tacoma Public Utilities, serves the city from the Green River watershed with groundwater wells, including the South Tacoma wellfield, backing it up. Green River water is soft, which is why hard-water scale is a minor issue in Tacoma compared with the well country across the bridge.
Local conditions that affect backflow preventer installation in Tacoma
In Tacoma specifically, one issue comes up more than most: Un-permitted remodels in flipped houses with bad venting and S-traps
Newer homes in Tacoma with residential fire sprinklers frequently have a double check assembly in the garage or crawlspace that nobody has looked at since the house was built. We inspect, test-coordinate and replace those when they fail.
Ask a Tacoma homeowner what goes wrong with plumbing here and you will usually hear a version of this: Galvanized supply lines reducing flow to a trickle on the second floor of North End houses
Commercial properties in Tacoma, from restaurants to car washes to medical offices, usually need an RPZ on the service and sometimes on individual equipment. We install them above grade with proper discharge so the relief port does not flood a floor.
Signs Tacoma homeowners call us for backflow preventer installation
Worth a call
- An old assembly is corroded, the shutoffs will not close, or the test cocks are seized
- A home inspector or county inspector flagged a cross-connection
- The brass body cracked in a winter freeze
- Your water district sent a notice requiring a backflow assembly or an annual test
- A certified tester failed your existing device
How we handle backflow preventer installation in Tacoma
Here is how it runs when we come to Tacoma for backflow preventer installation: figure out what the purveyor wants, site check and flat quote, install with testable access, initial certification, then record and remind. Nothing is started until you have approved a flat price.
Read the full step-by-step for backflow preventer installation →
Tacoma neighborhoods and areas we serve
East Side and McKinley Hill, Downtown and the Dome District and the streets between them see us regularly, as do the properties near Stadium High School and Ruston Way waterfront. If you are in Tacoma, you are covered.
Backflow Preventer Installation questions from Tacoma
My backflow test failed in Tacoma. Do I have to replace the device?
Not always. If the body is sound we rebuild it with new checks and springs, which is far less than replacement. If the body is pitted or the shutoffs are gone, we recommend a new assembly and show you why.
Can you winterize a backflow assembly in Tacoma?
Yes. We add drain ports and blowout access during installation and can retrofit them to existing devices, and we offer insulated enclosures for assemblies exposed to the Pierce County east wind.
Do you handle the paperwork for the Tacoma water district?
We coordinate the initial certification test and make sure the report reaches your purveyor. You get photos and device details for your own records.
Is a permit needed to install a backflow preventer in Tacoma?
Usually a plumbing permit is required, and the purveyor needs the installation and test report. We take care of both as part of the job.
What is the difference between a double check and an RPZ?
Both have two check valves in series. The RPZ adds a relief valve between them that opens and dumps water if either check leaks, which is why it protects against higher hazards and why it has to be above ground with room to discharge. The double check can go in a below-grade vault.
Tacoma homeowners often find us after a larger outfit quoted a replacement for something that only needed a repair. We would rather earn a customer for life than win one big ticket.