Toronto Backflow Test Report: How Filing Works

Last updated August 23, 2026

A backflow prevention device test report is the official record proving your device was tested and passed. In Toronto it is completed by a certified Cross Connection Control Specialist and submitted online to Toronto Water. Until that report is filed, the City has no evidence the test happened — and the property is treated as non-compliant even if the device is working perfectly.

What is on a backflow test report?

Every report ties one specific device to one specific test. It identifies the property and the device location, records the make, model, size and serial number of the assembly, and lists the pressure differential readings taken from each check valve and relief valve during the test. It states whether the device passed or failed, notes any repairs carried out, and carries the name and certification number of the tester along with the date. Because the readings are recorded individually, each device on a property needs its own report — a building with four assemblies files four reports, not one.

Who is allowed to complete the report?

Toronto restricts testing to plumbers, engineers and fire system sprinkler fitters who are certified as Cross Connection Control Specialists. That certification is what makes the report valid; a test performed by someone without it cannot be filed. The tester also needs calibrated equipment, since the report records pressure readings that must be traceable to a known standard.

Property owners cannot complete the report themselves. That said, the obligation to have it filed rests with the owner, not the contractor. If a tester performs the work and never submits the paperwork, it is the owner who receives the compliance notice.

How is the report submitted to Toronto Water?

Toronto has moved backflow reporting online. Completed reports are submitted through the City’s Backflow Prevention Device Test Report form rather than mailed in as a paper PDF, which is why searching for a downloadable form tends to come up empty. If you need a copy of a report filed previously, Toronto Water can be reached at 416-394-8888 or backflow@toronto.ca.

A good contractor treats submission as part of the job and confirms it in writing. Before you book any test, ask directly whether filing is included — it is the single most common gap that leaves an otherwise compliant property with an open notice.

When does a report need to be filed?

Three separate triggers apply under the City’s Water Supply By-law, and each one produces its own report:

• At initial installation. A newly installed device is tested and reported before it is considered in service.
• Within 72 hours of any service. If a device is cleaned, repaired, replaced, serviced or overhauled, it must be retested inside that window — a genuinely tight deadline that catches many owners out after emergency work.
• At least once a year. Annual testing continues for the life of the device, with each assembly tested individually.

The 72-hour rule is the one worth planning around. If a device fails its annual test and needs repair or replacement, the clock starts as soon as that work is done, not when it is convenient to return.

What happens if a report is late or missing?

The City treats an unreported device as an untested device. That usually means a written compliance notice with a deadline to correct the situation, and the property remains non-compliant until a passing report is submitted. Enforcement here is administrative rather than punitive — the purpose is to protect the drinking water supply, not to penalise owners who are otherwise doing the right thing. Responding promptly to a notice is normally enough to resolve it.

Is a permit the same thing as a test report?

No, and mixing them up causes real delays. A building permit is required for all new backflow preventer installations and replacements, and it is obtained from Toronto Building before the work begins. A test report is filed with Toronto Water after the device is installed and tested. A new installation generates both — the permit up front, the report on completion.

Which properties does this apply to?

Industrial, commercial and institutional properties, Part 3 residential buildings as defined by the Ontario Building Code, and construction sites all fall within Toronto’s backflow prevention program. Properties identified through a cross-connection control survey are also brought into it. If you are not certain whether your building qualifies, our 30-second eligibility check will tell you, and the regulations by town guide covers the equivalent requirements in other GTA municipalities.