Backflow Testing in Fairfax Station, VA

Signs your Fairfax Station assembly needs a visit

• A year or more has passed since the last test, or there is no record at all
• Water drips from the relief port while zones are running
• Long irrigation runs on a big lot leave the far zones weak
• A cold snap cracked the body or a test cock
• Someone added a pool fill, fountain or extra zones
• The device is corroded or the shutoff handles will not turn

Local conditions in Fairfax Station

Fairfax Station began in 1851 as a stop on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad and is now a mostly residential, car-dependent part of southern Fairfax County along Ox Road and the Fairfax County Parkway, near Burke Lake Park. Lots tend to be larger than in the inner suburbs, and the median home was built in 1982, so plenty of sprinkler systems here have been watering lawns for decades on their original assemblies.

Fairfax County lists Fairfax Water as the provider for county residents, supplied from the Occoquan Reservoir and the Potomac River. Its cross-connection department (571-722-7653) works with Fairfax County Land Development Services, and a test only counts when it comes from a DPOR-certified tester on the County's authorized vendor list. Fairfax Water owns the meter; the line from the meter to the house is the homeowner's, along with any device on it. New or replacement irrigation assemblies need a County plumbing permit through PLUS, and Land Development Services is at 703-222-0801.

What affects the cost

• Pass or fail. A failed check or relief valve adds parts and a retest.
• Device type. Reduced pressure assemblies have more parts than vacuum breakers.
• Distance and access. A device far from the driveway or buried in shrubs takes longer.
• Replacement. Freeze-cracked or obsolete units mean a new assembly and a permit.

What happens when you call

You are connected with an independent plumber who works in Fairfax Station. Describe the device, what it protects and when it was last tested. Ask the plumber to confirm their certification and County listing so the report is accepted. If the assembly is leaking hard, close the irrigation shutoff inside the house until the plumber arrives.