Austin Water's Cross Connection/Water Protection Program administers local, state and federal regulations to protect health and safety of the public water supply. Our program works to prevent cross connections by ensuring safeguards are in place to protect the public water system from contamination hazards. We also work to prevent unauthorized use or damage to fire hydrants to ensure constant fire suppression capabilities.

News  

  • Until further notice, the Cross Connection Control/Water Protection Program is not accepting any in-person visitors. If you are looking to register as a Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester, please review the updated registration process here.
     
  • All Cross Connection Control/Water Protection related forms (aside from Test and Maintenance Reports), should be submitted via email at awcrossconnection@austintexas.gov or mailed to:
    Austin Water, Special Services Division
    3907 South Industrial Dr, Suite 100
    Austin, TX 78744
     
  • All Test and Maintenance Reports must be entered online in the WEIRS Database. For additional information, click here (Adobe PDF).

General Water Protection Resources

Water Service Technician Resources 

Special Program Areas

Backflow Prevention

The heart of our program is preventing backflows, events in which the flow of water is reversed and non-potable water or other substances are forcibly siphoned into the drinking water system. Austin Water administers a backflow prevention program in conjunction with federal, state and local codes to ensure that backflow prevention devices are installed and maintained where backflow may be a risk.  Our program has minimum requirements for backflow prevention assembly (BPA) installation, testing, maintenance, and reporting.

Alternative Water Sources

Austin Water administers City, state and federal rules and regulations applying to alternative water sources (e.g., reclaimed water or well water) used with public water system service as these sources may not meet drinking water standards.  Alternative water is any water, except drinking water, or a mixture of water and anything else from any source that is pressurized for use, treatment, or disposal on or available to a site served by Austin Water.

Temporary Water Service

There are strict rules regarding the use of any public or private fire hydrant. Every withdrawal of water from a fire hydrant must be permitted, metered and paid for. Austin Water provides tap permits for temporary fire hydrant meters for customers needing water for construction purposes. 

There are two ways to legally withdraw metered water from a fire hydrant: 

  1. Meter installed on a hydrant
  2. Meter installed on customer’s equipment 

For additional information on temporary truck and hydrant meter applications, renewals, and read submissions, please visit the Utility Permitting Office webpage or email AWHydrants@austintexas.gov. 

No one but the City can touch a fire hydrant water meter. No one is permitted to set, move or even possess a meter.

Private Fire Hydrants

Facilities with privately-owned fire hydrants are responsible for ensuring that they will work as designed for fire suppression.  This involves meeting important testing and maintenance requirements.

  1. Private Fire Hydrant testing and maintenance is required to be conducted annually to conform with NFPA 25, Chapter 4 (for more information go to NFPA.org).
  2. The Austin Fire Department (or other local fire marshal) must be notified prior to any work that could impair fire suppression capabilities in conjunction with this required testing and maintenance.
  3. A Private Fire Hydrant Contractor approved by the Austin Fire Department must be used to conduct the required testing and maintenance.
  4. A copy of the Test and Maintenance Report (TMR) for each private fire hydrant must be submitted to Austin Water’s Special Services Division by the applicable annual due date.
Water Wells 

In 2012, the City adopted rules regulating water wells (Austin City Code Chapter 15-12). These include registration requirements that apply in conjunction with the drilling of water wells, the installation of water well pumps and other closely related activities.

Lake Water Protection

The City of Austin has established rules for boats, marinas and shore facilities to ensure that sewage is managed appropriately and the City’s water supply is protected. The rules address permit requirements and other requirements related to boat sewage and sanitation facilities.

Permit Requirements

A permit must be obtained* for each excursion boat with an on-board toilet (also known as a marine sanitation device) and each boat pump-out facility used for removing sewage from any boat or watercraft. In each case, the owner or operator must apply for a permit and follow permit display requirements. 

* Marinas with boat pump-out facilities on or adjacent to Lake Travis that hold a permit from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) and excursion boats operated from those marinas are not required to obtain this permit. 

Other Requirements

All boats and boat pump-out facilities must comply with State of Texas Clean Water Certification Program requirements, whether or not the requirement to obtain a permit applies. In addition, owners and operators of all boats, marinas and shore facilities must meet other requirements related to boat sewage and sanitation facilities, including those addressing design, installation, operation, discharge prohibitions, record-keeping and waste documentation. 

Austin Water may inspect any boat, shore facility or boat pump-out facility at any reasonable time to determine compliance with these rules. Failure to comply with any part of these rules may result in enforcement action, including fines of up to $2,000 per violation per day.