SEPTEMBER 2021
Water quality industry updates distilled into what matters.
FIFRA Compliance Requirements Associated with Water Treatment Products

Oct 20, 2021 @ 02:00 PM
Online via Zoom
About the Presentation: Water treatment products and technologies are regulated across a spectrum of federal, state, and local laws. The landscape is complex, ever changing, and unforgiving. From a federal perspective, there is often the misunderstanding that water treatment technologies are regulated primarily under the Safe Drinking Water Act or the Clean Water Act. However, products and technologies that control “pests,” such as bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa or slime, are also regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs. This presentation will provide an overview of the FIFRA compliance requirements associated with water treatment products. The presenter will also explain why industry certification to NSF and ANSI standards does not exempt water treatment products from FIFRA obligations.
About the Presenter: Erin Tesch, B.A., M.A., is the Senior Vice President and Managing Director at TSG Consulting, providing support and leadership to the company’s North American operations. Specializing in the registration and ongoing compliance of pesticide products, with an emphasis on antimicrobial products, Tesch assists companies with novel technologies to navigate the complex regulatory approval process. She provides advocacy and strategic positioning within the regulatory agencies to assist clients successfully obtain approvals. Her experience spans across all types of products including disinfectants, sanitizers, materials preservatives as well as biologicals that may be used to control public health pathogens.

Over her 25 year career, Erin has combined her background in environmental public policy with her regulatory knowledge to work with federal officials to address data requirements, prepare registration packages, develop label claims, coordinate product testing, and conduct in-house training and audits. She also serves as an expert witness in legal matters. Tesch has a B.A. in Political Science from George Washington University and an M.A. in Environmental Public Policy from Norwich University.
IAPMO Becomes an Amazon SPN Partner

The IAPMO Group is pleased to announce it has concluded a rigorous approval process to join the Amazon Service Provider Network (SPN), becoming a valuable resource for manufacturers and distributors wishing to sell their products on Amazon ...

Read more
www.aspe.org
REMINDER:
The 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) requires certification to the ASSE 1087 standard for commercial and food service water treatment equipment
Now that the 2021 code is published, IAPMO R&T has began requiring products listed to the UPC to comply with the new requirements. We anticipate states will begin adopting the new version of the UPC, leaving a limited time for companies to get their products tested and certified to the new requirements. IAPMO R&T has required products to comply with the new requirements of the code since January 2021 for new products. Products with existing certifications will have one year from its renewal date to comply. Certified products that do not comply with the new code requirements will need to change their UPC mark to IAPMO’s classified mark so that inspectors will have a clear indication if a product does not comply with the code.
About ASSE 1087-2018
Performance Requirement for Commercial and Food Service Water Treatment Equipment Utilizing Drinking Water

The application of this standard includes commercial water treatment equipment used in point-of-entry (POE) and point-of-use (POU) applications connected to building plumbing to improve the water quality characteristics of potable water. This standard includes testing requirements for components and complete systems. This standard covers all water treatment products that are connected to the building’s potable water plumbing system. This standard is not intended to cover water treatment products used for process water or wastewater applications. Examples of water treatment equipment include deionizers, filters, softeners, reverse osmosis assemblies, ultraviolet systems, ozone systems, and distillers.

Tests verifying claims regarding changes to water chemistry, microbiology, and aesthetics (i.e. smell, taste, appearance, etc.) are not included in this standard. Devices may claim such performance via other standards or test protocols.
Similar to other ASSE standards, the 1087 standard includes minimum performance tests that focus on public health and product safety, such as:
  • Service Flow Rate and Pressure Drop – Testing to verify flow rate and pressure drop characteristics to assist with installation sizing requirements.
  • Backsiphonage – Products that operated via self-regeneration have integrated backflow protection to ensure the regenerant cannot enter the potable water.
  • 24-hour Pressure Loss – To ensure that the device’s seals, joints, and connections continue to maintain the static working pressure.
  • Pressure Shock (Water Hammer) – To determine if the device, when subjected to a pressure of two times the manufacturer’s maximum rated working pressure, withstands the shock wave produced in downstream piping.
  • Structural Integrity - Hydrostatic – This test is performed to ensure the system or component will be able to withstand peak pressures found in a plumbing system when assembled into a complete water treatment system.
  • Structural Integrity - Cycle Test – This test is performed to ensure the system or component will be able to withstand repeated pressure cycling.
  • Material Safety – To ensure products connected to a potable water supply will not add contaminants to the drinking water above safe levels.
  • Marking – to provide guidance to uses on temperature and pressure limitations and to distinguish between products approved for use on potable water vs process water.
IAPMO EGS Expands Electrical Product Testing and Certification Scope to Include UL Standard for Drinking Water Coolers
IAPMO EGS, The IAPMO Group’s testing and certification division for electrical products, has announced a scope expansion as a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to UL 399, Standard for Drinking Water Coolers. Products that can be certified to this standard include drinking water coolers, ice makers, and water dispensers. This addition to IAPMO EGS's scope will help manufactures of these products by providing a one-stop shop for testing and certification.

NRTLs are private sector organizations that are recognized by OSHA to perform testing and certification of workplace products to applicable safety standards. Each NRTL has a scope of test standards for which it is recognized, and each NRTL uses its own unique registered certification mark(s) to designate product conformance. The revised scope for IAPMO EGS’s NRTL recognition is located at https://www.osha.gov/nationally-recognized-testing-laboratory-program/iapmo.

IAPMO EGS is a trusted name for independent testing and listing for the commercial and consumer appliances industry. IAPMO EGS is committed to providing quality testing and listing services at competitive rates in a timely manner. Its knowledgeable staff works with manufacturers to ensure that each testing and listing project is handled efficiently, helping get the product to market faster.

For more information, contact Tony Zhou at (909) 230-5536 or tony.zhou@iapmoegs.org, or direct your web browser to www.iapmoegs.org.
Filtered Media is a free newsletter published by IAPMO R&T Water Systems. Its mission is to keep manufacturers of water quality products informed about the latest updates in the industry, including new contaminants, regulatory items, updates to codes and standards, requirements from individual sellers, and other pertinent industry information.
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