On many Lexington lawns, the water meter sits in a small box near the curb. Under the Town's updated Cross Connection Control Program, a home with an in-ground sprinkler system on Town water needs a testable double check valve assembly, called a DCVA, on its service line. It goes just downstream of that meter and upstream of where the irrigation line connects. Its job is to keep sprinkler water from flowing backward into the drinking water supply.
Town staff put the average install at about $600. That's the number that tends to get repeated. But the install happens once. The ongoing obligation is a certified test every year, tracked in a Town database and backed by the possibility of a water shutoff. That part stays with the property for as long as the sprinklers do.
How the rule took shape, June to October
The version that passed is narrower than the one first presented. Here is how it changed from meeting to meeting.
| Meeting | What happened |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2026 work session | Staff presented the program with installs estimated at $500 to $850 per device and said the Town was mainly looking at homes built before 2000. Council voted 7–0 to put it on the July 6 agenda. |
| July 6, 2026 regular meeting | Staff clarified that the rule covers irrigation systems only, not residential swimming pools. The Mayor and the Utilities Director confirmed that any installer can do the work but the tester must be certified. Council sent it back for more discussion. |
| September 8, 2026 | Council adopted the program 7–0 and passed the ordinance amendments on first reading 7–0. |
| October 5, 2026 | The ordinance passed final reading 7–0. |
Two early ideas fell away along the way. In June, the Utilities Director said industry best practice is a backflow device at every home, since features like pools can also create cross-connections. Mayor Pro Tem Carnes argued for focusing on irrigation, which state law already covers, and said he didn't support rules based only on a home's age. By July 6, staff confirmed the program "applies only to irrigation systems meeting the minimum state requirements," according to the council minutes. The adopted program text sets no cutoff by construction year. Coverage depends on whether your irrigation line connects to your potable service line without approved protection.
Lexington chose the state minimum and nothing extra. The Town's program page cites the State Primary Drinking Water Regulations, R. 61-58.7 F., as one of the rules it is complying with, and it names Town Code sections 50.12(A)(13) and 151.06.03(B) as governing the program.
Which sprinkler setups the rule reaches
The program separates sprinkler setups into a few groups:
- Irrigation that already has a DCVA. The device can stay where it is. It still needs its annual test.
- Irrigation with an older "grandfathered" device that isn't a testable DCVA. That setup now has to be brought up to the DCVA standard.
- Irrigation with no backflow protection. A DCVA is required.
- High-hazard connections, such as a private well tied into house plumbing after the service connection. These need an air gap or a reduced pressure principle assembly, a stricter category than a typical sprinkler line.
Before any of this applies to you, check who sends your water bill. Lexington-area addresses aren't all on Town of Lexington water. The Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission's online service-area map lists the Town of Lexington, West Columbia, Cayce and Columbia among the other water providers in Lexington County. West Columbia describes its own service area as reaching west to the edge of the Town of Lexington's. If your bill comes from another utility, that utility's rules apply instead.
Once a notice arrives
According to the Town's published program, this is the timeline that starts once the Town notifies a customer that a DCVA is required:
- Within 15 business days, the customer provides an installation date or asks the Town to schedule the work.
- For an appeal or more information, the program says the Town will schedule a courtesy on-site visit from the Utility Director or Superintendent.
- Within two months of the notice, installation is to be complete.
- A new DCVA is tested when it's installed and before it goes into use. The test report is due within 10 days of the day it's placed in service.
If you have the Town arrange the install, the Town says it will get pricing through competitive bidding and bill you at cost in one of three ways: one invoice paid in full, the total plus 3% over six months, or the total plus 6% over 12 months. These bills are separate from your monthly utility bill. You can also hire your own installer. At the July meeting, a council member asked whether homeowners could shop for the lowest installation price and hire a certified tester separately, and the Utilities Director said they could.
If the Town doesn't receive an install date within the 15 business days, a non-compliance notice is delivered to the home. That notice gives seven days before water service is discontinued in the following week.
The test that comes back every year
Under the program, the property owner is responsible for testing, repairing and, if needed, replacing the DCVA. Every device is tested annually by a certified tester. At the June work session, a council member asked whether the $500 to $850 install would recur. The Utilities Director said the device itself isn't replaced on a schedule, but it has to be tested every year to confirm it still works.
Here's how the yearly cycle runs:
- About 30 days before the due date, the Town sends a courtesy reminder.
- The test report goes to the Utilities Department by email at [email protected] or by mail to 111 Maiden Lane. The Town's listed number for questions is 803-951-4651.
- If a device fails, the failed report goes to the Town, and a passing report on the repaired or replaced device is due within 30 days of the failure.
- If no report arrives within 10 business days of the due date, a non-compliance notice starts a 14-day grace period. After that, water service can be shut off.
If the water does get shut off, the account is billed for the Town's enforcement costs, including staff hours, fuel and vehicle use. Service can be restored before that invoice is paid if a certified tester calls the Town with a scheduled test date. Not paying the invoice on time leads to another shutoff and an added charge. The Town keeps program paperwork and dates in its database for at least five years.
The Town doesn't keep its own list of testers. The program points to the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services backflow page, which has a searchable listing of certified backflow testers.
Lexington is catching up to its neighbors
Neighboring utilities have run similar programs for years, some with a fee built into the water bill.
The Joint Municipal Water and Sewer Commission says that since July 2004, every new residential meter it sets, with or without irrigation, has required a double check valve assembly. Its published rates list a "Backflow Protection Fee (Residential - per month)" of $5.50. At Lexington's June work session, the Town Administrator described that Joint Municipal charge as $5.50 a month for a backflow testing report. The Utilities Director said the Town wasn't proposing a similar fee because its focus was regulatory compliance. Councilmember Lyle said he'd rather see the Town run annual testing than leave it to individual homeowners, and staff said that approach could be considered later. For now, the adopted program has homeowners handle their own testing.
West Columbia's program covers residential and commercial customers across its service area. Customers handle installation, maintenance, testing and repairs, and assemblies are tested every year by a certified tester. Starting September 1, 2026, all annual test reports there go through an online system, BSI Online, and the city charges no filing fee for them. Columbia Water says irrigation on city water should have a backflow preventer, with annual inspection and testing right after installation or repairs, and the customer buys and installs the device.
Next to those programs, Lexington's rule matches what most of the Midlands already does, at the minimum level state rules require. The Town hasn't said how many homes it will reach. When a council member asked in July how many residents would be affected, staff said they didn't have a total. The Town's October 19 work-session packet still lists the Cross-Connection Control Plan among Utilities policies "currently being developed or awaiting approval," even though Council has adopted the program and its ordinance. Some rollout details may still change.
For homes that change hands
The program says the property owner is responsible for the device and its testing, and that the Town keeps test records for at least five years. So in Lexington, a sprinkler system now comes with a yearly test date and a paper trail. The most recent passing test report fits in the same folder as the irrigation installer's paperwork and recent water bills. If you're thinking about selling in the next year or two, our Lexington neighborhood guide and seller resources are good places to start.
Everything here is general information drawn from the Town's published program and council records, not legal or plumbing advice. Confirm the details for your own property with the Town of Lexington Utilities Department or a certified backflow tester.
If a notice from the Town has you wondering how the new valve and its test records will look to a future buyer, let's talk it through. Hannah Norman helps Lexington homeowners get these details organized before they list. Let's connect, and get your free home valuation while you're at it.
