Arvada's backflow test, decoded — two portals, one annual rule
Arvada runs its filing through its own portal system — different vendor than the BSI cities around it, which is exactly the kind of detail that trips up testers who work across the metro. From the city’s own Backflow & Cross Connection Control Program page, checked July 2026.
The rules in three lines
- Who: service connections posing potential health hazards must have assemblies — grounded in Colorado’s Primary Drinking Water Regulations and the state and local plumbing codes.
- When: inspected and tested annually — the city’s flat rule for all backflow prevention assemblies.
- Where it files: Arvada’s own tester portal (a SAMS/njbsoft system). Not BSI. Not SwiftComply. Not email.
Why the portal detail matters here
The metro’s districts split across at least four filing systems — Denver takes email, Thornton and Westminster run BSI, Colorado Springs partners differently, and Arvada runs its own (the full district-by-district map). A tester who files fifty BSI reports a month can still be unregistered in Arvada’s system — and an unfiled test doesn’t exist, as far as your compliance record goes. The booking question: “are you set up in Arvada’s tester portal, and will my result land before the due date?”
The five-minute move most people skip
Arvada also runs a customer portal for updating your contact information — and it’s quietly important. Compliance letters chase whatever contact is on file; stale contact info is how a property ends up on the enforcement path without ever seeing a warning. New owner, new manager, new mailing address: update it.
Letter still confusing? The decoder translates the standard paragraphs, and the cost page explains why quotes differ. Program questions: 720-898-7793 (Ask Arvada handles 24/7 emergencies). Ready to book? The form reaches certified testers who work Arvada’s system specifically.
Questions people actually ask
How often does Arvada require backflow testing?
Annually — the city's page says the regulations and codes require all backflow prevention assemblies to be inspected and tested every year. The requirement lands on service connections that pose potential health hazards, which in practice means the usual commercial, irrigation, and multi-unit suspects.
Where do Arvada test results get filed?
Through Arvada's own tester portal (a SAMS/njbsoft system — not BSI, not SwiftComply). Your tester logs in and submits there. If your tester only knows the other cities' portals, make sure they've registered with Arvada's before the due date.
What's the customer portal for?
Arvada runs a separate customer-side portal for updating your contact information — worth five minutes, because compliance letters chase the contact on file. Wrong address on file is how people end up shutoff-surprised in every city's program.
Who do I contact at the city?
The Backflow & Cross Connection Control Program at 720-898-7793 — with after-hours issues going through Ask Arvada, the city's 24/7 line.