Downtown Fullerton is the city's historic core, with restaurants, bars, cafes and small shops packed into older commercial buildings. Food service and drink equipment create exactly the kind of cross-connections water suppliers want protected, so many businesses here have one or more testable assemblies.
The residential streets around downtown include some of Fullerton's oldest houses. Many pre-war homes sit on raised foundations with crawl spaces, unlike the slab tracts built after the war, and their plumbing may have been updated piece by piece over the decades.
Area at a glance
- Typical buildings
- Older commercial blocks, restaurants, mixed use, and early twentieth-century homes nearby
- Foundations
- Many older homes on raised foundations; later infill on slab
- Supply pipes
- Older homes may still have galvanized sections; many have been partly repiped in copper
- Sewer laterals
- Older cast-iron or clay laterals, often near mature street trees
- Water supplier
- City of Fullerton water utility for most addresses; confirm on your bill
Where devices tend to be
| Property type | Common device location | Access issue |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant or bar | Rear wall, alley side or inside a back room | Tight space, stored items, grease and trash areas |
| Retail shop | Near the meter or at the back of the building | Shared with other tenants |
| Mixed-use building | Main service and fire riser | Locked rooms; coordinate with building owner |
| Older home | Sprinkler device in a front planter or side yard | Overgrown landscaping |
Tips for downtown businesses
- Schedule tests before opening to avoid shutting off water during service.
- Keep the path to the device clear of kegs, crates and trash bins.
- Confirm with the landlord which devices are yours to test.
- Keep a copy of every report in the business office.
- Tell the tester about soda, ice and dish equipment lines.
Questions downtown owners often ask
- Does each tenant space have its own device, or one for the building?
- Who pays for testing in a shared building?
- Can the test be done before a lunch or dinner service?
- Are there separate devices on beverage equipment?
Common questions
Do older downtown homes need backflow testing?
Only if they have a testable device, usually on a sprinkler system. The notice from the water supplier will tell you.
Can a backflow device be moved off a crowded alley wall?
Possibly, with a licensed contractor and the water supplier's approval. Check with the city first.
Are historic buildings handled differently?
Backflow requirements come from the water supplier. Any building alteration rules are a separate question for the city.
General information for Fullerton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.