COLORADO: A sentence in a new state law has scrambled the plumbing industry.

Colorado’s plumbing regulatory board held an emergency meeting Wednesday to try to figure out a solution that some in the industry say could lead to water shutoffs and pricey bills for a standard procedure.

The new law requires anyone inspecting, testing or repairing a backflow prevention device to have a license. Previously, professionals only needed a plumbing license to install or remove a backflow prevention device.

A backflow prevention device prevents used water from entering the public water supply. They are common on residential sprinkler systems, but the prevention devices are also common on commercial buildings where they serve multiple purposes. Some water districts require commercial buildings to test their backflow preventers frequently.

The change caught many in the backflow prevention industry off guard. Colleen Morrison with Morrison Backflow Testing said she learned about the new law, which went into effect on July 1, on June 14. She said she called her contacts at Denver Water who said they had not heard about the change either.

“If we test the domestic backflows, we’re breaking the law,” Morrison said.
She said the change in the law eliminates 44% of her business, puts her employees at risk and puts the public at risk if bad water enters the water supply.
It also will increase costs to her customers who have to find help in a limited pool of licensed plumbers who can do the work elsewhere.

If the Denver-Boulder Democrats who took over my state could just take a breather on legislating everything worse, that would be great.