Louisiana Backflow Tester Certification Courses
40-Hour Backflow Class Schedule ($750)
We do not have any open enrollment courses scheduled currently. Check out our course hosting program or we can do a private course ( minimum 8 students )
We hold an approval with our 40-hour course for general testing. If you are doing the WSPS through the State Board of Plumbing, you would also need a third party examination that we can proctor through ABPA (more info on our Exam Prep Page). See below additional info on approvals.
How Do I Become a Certified Backflow Tester in Louisiana?
Backflow Prevention Assembly Testing is regulated by two entities in Louisiana:
The Louisiana State Department of Health and Hospitals maintains a list of certified testers for the state, our single party exam as part of a 40-hour course did receive an approval through the DHH some time ago. The list of testers is posted online here - The full rules and regs are outlined in the Louisiana Admin Code 51: XII.344.B - a general tester is not licensed to repair or install preventers per the 51:12
The State Board of Plumbing of Louisiana (SBPLA) has a designation called the Water Supply Protection Specialist (WSPS), where this license certifies a Louisiana Master Plumber or Irrigator to test backflow preventers as well as install and repair them. Currently they accept two nationally recognized exams, with American Backflow Prevention Association (ABPA) listed, ABPA is better probably but there is another one there that their website talks more about. More info on the WSPS program is listed on their website - www.spbla.com/cpe/wsps-certification - so to do both parts with us, you would need a 40-hour course which includes our single party exam which you can use with DHH, and then sit for the ABPA exam after that.
Which Backflow Preventer Testing Procedures Should I Use?
We have found the USC-10th Edition testing procedures to be the most efficient. On our YouTube Channel, we created a series of videos where we test the four types of preventers using these procedures:
The Complete Guide to Testing Backflow Preventers - By the Book
Tips and Tricks for taking Backflow Practical Exams
The USC 10th Edition Textbook can be purchased at www.uscfoundationstore.com