In the half century since the passing of the Safe Drinking Water Act, backflow prevention education and certification has taken many forms. At Kruger Professional Resources, Inc., we strive to utilize the best and most current text materials and presentation media available to both maintain proper education and equipment for today's backflow testers as well as develop the backflow testing workforce of tomorrow for our stakeholders. This includes an extensive review of the ASSE 1013, ASSE 1015, ASSE 1020, and other applicable ASSE Design Standards, as well as the nationally renowned USC 10th Edition 2 valve testing procedures. We utilize expertise acquired through training almost ten thousand individuals in dozens of states over the last decade and beyond, complying with many local and national regulators, verifying what does and doesn't produce results, and never cutting corners. We strive to service our customers and the industry in the most effective way possible.
A key difference in the Kruger Backflow Training Method is that we recommend assembly replacement as a last resort. If a technician is using the USC 10th Edition testing procedures and is familiar with the relevant diagnostics and auxiliary steps, any leaking shutoff valve or check valve can be effectively diagnosed and either repaired or bypassed. Having experience with many other versions of backflow tester training, often trainers using the ASSE 5110 or various AWWA coursework usually have the recommendation to replace any valve that has any issues with it. In reality, it just makes teaching the classes and proctoring their exams easier, the course providers need less equipment, but this strips value from their end customers. As a backflow testing company that wants to provide a service to their hopefully repeat customers, or a facility testing their own preventers, it will always be more effective to repair or simply bypass a leaking valve instead of replacing an entire assembly. Also, with tariff considerations, it makes no sense to scrap a perfectly good valve that just has a little wear and tear just to waste domestic manufacturing labor and material resources on getting a brand new valve. Every backflow test should not be looked at as an opportunity to sell a replacement valve.
A key difference in the Kruger Backflow Training Method is that we strive to have all results taken from a testing procedure to be Precise and Repeatable. This typically means opening needle valves and test cocks slightly and slowly and watching the readings. Utilizing the Kruger Instruments TK-2 testing equipment and 2 valve USC 10th Edition testing procedures, we have developed a process to minimize Type I and Type II errors, also minimize errors in record keeping, prioritizing that the tester gets accurate and repeatable readings. Using other equipment, they generally have electronic button pressing systems, or have a design that requires filters on their hoses that may become clogged, and large diaphragm bodies that often take forever to leak down in the event of a check valve with a very small leak. Also many other programs utilize single hose relief valve opening tests which have been proven over time to be unreliable, a tester can and often does get different results each time the test is performed. The Kruger Instruments TK-2 has a very small diaphragm body and needle valves are large body and all bronze, allowing a tester to open the needle valve all the way or very slightly, and with the proper training can allow RP opening point readings to be much more precise and repeatable than is possible using other systems. Removing the filter with a streamlined and easy to flush design reduces Type II errors when doing single hose check valve testing. Much focus is also made on accurate recording methods, what readings are taken at what exact time, and how to accurately fill out the testing reports both for the exams and the field. This video on YouTube shows more detail on this.
A key difference in the Kruger Backflow Training Method is also that we train students to test backflow prevention assemblies " By the Book " meaning that the USC 10th Edition textbook and derivative materials are woven into the entire program. Other programs often train students to take shortcuts, or omit certain parts of the procedures like no flow confirmations, often also using incomplete manuals that were published in the 1990s and copy / pasted forms that they stole from someone else a long time ago. There is a reason that the University of Southern California Foundation for Cross Connection Control and Hydraulic Research ( USC-FCCHR ) wrote the ultimate manual including very thorough diagnostics and situations, with step by step instructions on how to record these readings in a very systematic and repeatable way. Our instructors will never recommend to students that they should cut corners, or not test for flow conditions and things like this, even if it's acceptable to some local jurisdictions who aren't paying attention. Students will almost never cut these corners in the field when they realize that 1/100 gallon per minute of flow through a main drain valve will cause check valves to crack open and result in Type II errors for every single test that valve ever does. A technician is confirming a valve is operating properly for a reason, and should make every effort to do the job properly, or at a minimum be trained to do so properly and advised of the issues that cutting corners can create.
As a longstanding member of the American Backflow Prevention Association, we have incorporated many of their processes in our single party examination criteria where available, and we also have hosted their gold standard third party exams in many states that require this, participating in their events whenever possible. It should be the aspiration of every backflow tester to become an ABPA tester and member of the national organization. Across the nation, Kruger Professional Resources offers state or locally approved backflow tester training and complies with all state and local requirements, while also incorporating best practices from the most prestigious organization in the backflow testing world. We integrate nationally developed best practices in our program, and then administer the program on a local level.
After completing the Kruger Training Academy program, a student will know both the theory on backflow as well as the testing procedures, relevant diagnostic failure steps, and how to properly fill out a test report, both in and out. The examinations are all held without study aids and require the student to analyze the valves' conditions as well as if the conditions are acceptable for a pass or failure. This is commonplace if taking ABPA or similar exams, or taking courses anywhere in California, but unfortunately for the industry, many schools in many areas of the country opt to have programs that do not fully train the students on these principles, usually resulting in backflow testers who only barely know the basics upon certification. Memorization is a key part of any reputable backflow testing examination program, since if you do not memorize it, you will not remember it, and although some technicians claim to always use their testing sheets in the field, many do not and over the years we have seen testers upon re-certification who make errors when testing or omit steps that are crucial to the backflow test, many testing backflow preventers improperly the entire time.
Since the examination is blind and very involved, we have a " No Student Left Behind " policy where if a student fails our course, we allow free retakes of either the course or the exams at any of our future courses, whether in the same area or not. They generally do have to be in the same state for it to be applicable. We do not make excessively hard exams just to create more business for ourselves, but we do want our certified testers to be some of the best in the industry and have a rigorous course and exam process.
After completing the Kruger Training Academy program, a certified technician will be admitted to the Kruger Alumni network, which is relatively new but is an opportunity for them to receive discounts with certain supply houses / gauge manufacturers, as well as access to our newsletter which includes various new things going on in the industry. It is always good to keep up on the changing regulations and opportunities.
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