The TCEQ-20700 (Customer Service Inspection & Backflow Prevention Assembly Test Report) is the fallback form Texas water utilities accept when they don't have a city-specific version. It's also the form most likely to get bounced back — usually for missing fields that seem optional but aren't. This guide walks through every section with the exact formatting each Texas utility expects.
Top of Form: Utility & Assembly Identification
- Water Purveyor / PWS Name: Legal utility name (e.g., "City of Houston Public Works").
- PWSID: 7-character format TXNNNNNNN. Wrong PWSID = automatic rejection.
- Service Address: Street address of the assembly location — not the billing address.
- Customer / Owner Name: Legal owner of record, not the tenant.
- Assembly Location: Specific description. "NE corner mechanical room, 4ft above slab, downstream of 2-inch meter" — never "front of building."
Assembly Details Section
- Manufacturer, Model, Size, Serial #: All four required. Photograph the tag before you leave the site.
- Type: RPZ, DCVA, PVB, SVB, AVB, or AG. Must match the assembly on the utility's device inventory.
- Hazard Level: High or low — required in most Texas cities. AWWA M14 is the reference.
- Installation Date: If unknown, write "unknown" — don't leave blank.
Test Results Section
The test result grid is where 70% of rejections happen. Rules:
- Record readings in PSID to one decimal (e.g., 3.2, not "OK" or "passed").
- For RPZs, all three tests must have numeric values: #1 check DP, #2 check tightness, relief valve opening.
- For DCVAs, both check values are required — leaving #2 blank is an instant reject.
- For PVBs, air inlet opening PSI and check valve PSID must both be recorded.
- Pass/Fail must match the readings. If #1 DP is 1.8 PSID on an RPZ, that's a fail — don't mark it passed.
Tester Certification Block
- Tester Name: As printed on the BPAT license.
- BPAT License #: 7-digit number, no prefix. Cross-checked against TCEQ's live roster.
- License Expiration: Must be after the test date.
- Gauge Serial #: Required by most Texas cities.
- Gauge Calibration Date: Must be within 12 months of test date. Utilities read this carefully.
- Signature: Wet or digital — most cities accept both, but the signature must be present.
- Test Date: Actual field test date, not submission date.
The Five Rejection Traps
- Blank hazard classification — Cities treat this as a critical field.
- Missing gauge calibration date — "See attached" doesn't count; put the date on the form.
- Test date after license or calibration expiry — Systems flag this automatically.
- Serial number mismatch — If the city inventory says serial X and you write Y, it bounces.
- Wrong PWSID — Especially common in metroplexes where multiple utilities overlap.
Submission Rules Statewide
- Most Texas cities require submission within 10 business days of the test.
- Failed tests trigger a 30-day retest window.
- Utilities without a portal accept email PDF; use the customer-service inspection email on the city's website.
- Keep a signed copy for at least 3 years — TCEQ can audit.
How FlowCert Prevents Every Rejection Above
- Auto-fills PWSID from the property address.
- Blocks submission if readings and pass/fail don't match, or if license/calibration are expired.
- Requires assembly-location specificity before generating the PDF.
- Create a FlowCert account and generate compliant TCEQ-20700s automatically.
Also see: Houston · DFW · Austin & San Antonio.