(1) Those actively certified by the department of health on or before July 1, 2001, as backflow assembly testers and registered as a contractor under chapter
18.27 RCW or employed by a registered contractor, may perform maintenance and repair of backflow prevention assemblies, without being a certified plumber under this chapter, until January 1, 2003. For the purposes of this section, "maintenance and repair" include cleaning and replacing internal parts of an assembly, but do not include installing or replacing backflow prevention assemblies.
(2) After January 1, 2003, backflow assembly testers exempted under subsection (1) of this section are required to meet the eligibility requirements for a specialty plumber's certificate of competency under *RCW
18.106.040(1)(c).