Aurora's backflow test, decoded — ordinance, portal, deadline
Aurora writes its backflow rules into city law — ordinance §138-170 — and runs its filing through a dedicated portal. If your letter says Aurora Water, here’s the whole shape of it, from Aurora’s own program page and city code, checked July 2026.
The rules in three lines
- Backflow preventers are required by city ordinance; the responsible party is whoever is billed for water service, or the property owner.
- Assemblies are tested on installation and at least annually after — by a Certified Backflow Technician (ASSE or ABPA certified, per the city code).
- Results are filed online through SpryBackflow (sprybackflow.aurorawater.org), before the annual due date on your notice.
The portal is the part that bites
Aurora replaced its old XC2 reporting system with SpryBackflow — and a test filed nowhere, or filed into a tester’s memory of the old system, doesn’t exist as far as Aurora’s compliance clock is concerned. When you book, the question that matters isn’t “are you certified?” — most testers are — it’s “do you file through Aurora’s SpryBackflow, and will you file within the deadline?” A tester who works Aurora weekly does this in their sleep; that’s the kind the form on this page reaches.
Portal filing is also one of the quiet reasons quotes differ from one company to the next — the paperwork time is priced in. The full cost anatomy is in what a backflow test costs.
If something’s genuinely wrong
Aurora is one of the few Front Range programs with an explicit appeal process for discrepancies — a letter for an assembly you don’t have, a due date that contradicts last year’s test. The Cross-Connection Control section handles it: 303-326-8520, 26791 E. Quincy Ave., weekdays 7:00–3:30.
Got a letter and just want it handled? The letter decoder explains the paragraphs; the form gets you a certified tester who already files with Aurora.
Questions people actually ask
Where do Aurora backflow test results get filed?
Online, through Aurora Water's SpryBackflow portal (sprybackflow.aurorawater.org), before the annual test due date. Aurora moved to SpryBackflow from its old XC2 system — if your tester's routine predates the switch, make sure they've re-registered.
Who is responsible for the test — tenant or owner?
Aurora's rule names "the person billed for water service … or the owner of the property." If the water bill is in your name, the compliance letter is yours even as a tenant — worth settling with your landlord before the due date, not after.
Who can perform the test in Aurora?
A Certified Backflow Technician — Aurora's city code (§138-170) accepts certification from the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) or the American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA).
What if I think Aurora's requirement is a mistake?
Aurora Water's Cross-Connection Control section runs an appeal process for disputes — reachable at 303-326-8520, 26791 E. Quincy Ave., 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.