Backflow testing & RPZ in Five Points.
Raleigh Water compliance across Hayes Barton, Bloomsbury, Georgetown, Vanguard Park and Roanoke Park — where the assembly usually sits in full view and there is no side yard to hide it in.
What Five Points homeowners should know
- The device is on show. With no side yard to hide it, the assembly sits where the street sees it. Neat work and a sensible enclosure matter here in a way they do not on a big suburban lot.
- Clearances are whatever the retrofit allowed. These assemblies were added to century-old plumbing, so access is often tight. That affects how a test is done and whether a repair is practical in place.
- Three-year cycle, July 1 deadline. Most homes around here retest once every third year, with the paperwork due by July 1. It is a long enough gap to forget, so we hand over the next date rather than assume you will remember.
On these lots the backflow is part of the front elevation
Every irrigation system on Raleigh Water carries an RPZ assembly that a certified tester has to check and lodge before July 1, once every third year on most homes. The test itself takes minutes. What makes Five Points different is where the device has to live.
These lots are narrow and the houses sit close to the street, so there is rarely a discreet side return to tuck an assembly into. It generally ends up near the front foundation, visible from the sidewalk, on a street where the houses are a century old and the streetscape matters to the people who live on it. It also had to be retrofitted into whatever clearance existed at the meter, which frequently means it is tighter, lower or more awkward than a modern install would be. Compliant is the requirement; tidy, protected and accessible is what actually makes it acceptable to live with.
What we handle on Five Points backflow
Assemblies in full view of the street
On a narrow lot the device is part of what people see. We keep the installation neat, square and as unobtrusive as the clearances allow.
Tight retrofit clearances at the meter
Assemblies fitted into space that was never designed for them are awkward to test and awkward to service. We work with what is there and tell you honestly if it needs relocating.
Enclosures that still allow testing
A cover that hides the device is fine until it blocks the test ports or traps water. We fit or adapt enclosures that protect and conceal without making the assembly untestable.
Freeze protection on an exposed device
An assembly out in the open on a front elevation is exposed to hard freezes. We insulate and drain properly so a January night does not become a spring repair.
Rebuild rather than replace where possible
On a constrained retrofit, replacing a device can mean re-plumbing. We carry rebuild parts and repair in place wherever the assembly is worth keeping.
Testing, filing and the next due date
We test, submit the report to Raleigh Water, confirm it landed, and tell you in writing when the next one falls due.
Five Points backflow testing FAQ
How often does my backflow need testing?
Most houses around Five Points certify every third year against a July 1 filing date. Anything with a booster pump or chemical injection on it goes annually instead. We establish which category you are in and tell you when the next one falls.
Mine is right by the front steps and I hate looking at it. Any options?
A few. A proper enclosure that still allows test access is usually the simplest, and in some cases the assembly can be relocated if the plumbing allows. We will tell you honestly which applies before quoting.
Can you test it if it is inside a cover?
Yes, provided the cover allows access to the test ports. If it does not, we will say so — and a cover that traps water around the device is doing more harm than good anyway.
It failed last time. Does it need replacing?
Usually not. Most failures are a worn check or relief valve, and rebuild parts are far cheaper than a replacement — which on a tight retrofit can also mean re-plumbing. We rebuild where the assembly is worth keeping.
Do I need to be home?
Not if we can reach the assembly and the irrigation is accessible. We will confirm the result and send the filed report either way.
How Five Points backflow testing goes
Tell us roughly where the device is
Front foundation, beside the meter, inside a cover — a photo helps. Send the form and we respond the same business day.
Test on site in minutes
A certified test with a brief interruption to the irrigation line only. We tell you the result before we leave.
Rebuilt on site wherever it is possible
Rebuild kits ride in the van, so an assembly that fails on a tight retrofit is normally put right and re-certified there and then instead of swapped out.
File it and leave it presentable
Report submitted to Raleigh Water, enclosure and planting put back the way we found them, and the next due date in writing.
Get a Five Points RPZ tested and filed
A photo of the assembly helps — same-business-day response.
- Insured and licensed in NC
- Priced up front, nothing added later
- Twelve-month warranty on our labor
July 1 coming and no idea when yours was last tested?
Call or text and we’ll test, file it and give you the next date.