JANUARY 2022
Water quality industry updates distilled into what matters.
High Hopes for 2022

It is time to reflect on the past year and look ahead to what we have in front of us. We certainly hoped 2021 would be the end of the pandemic, but we continue to navigate a world that simply cannot rid itself of the nuisance. Yet, we continue to find the good and alter norms as we leave 2021 better than when we began.

One of the major accomplishments that came from 2021 was holding our first ever Water Systems Forum. We were pleased with attendance numbers, but even more impressed with the collaborative vibe we had throughout the meeting. It was evident that those using our certification program are vested in helping to make the certification process rigorous and efficient. A special kudos to those who helped create additional policies that pushed great efforts to completion. It is true that we were forced to facilitate this meeting online, but we have high hopes that this event will eventually be an in-person occasion, rotating between our headquarters in Ontario, CA and our location in Mokena, IL. Be sure to read our newsletters thoroughly, as we will provide updates regarding the next Forum through this media outlet.

There is no doubt that the staffing crisis that so many have been challenged with has also hit home with our Water Systems program. Between illnesses and departures, 2021 was a tough year. With the deepest gratitude I can muster, I say thank you to each and every one of you for your continued patience and support as your Project Managers continue to work diligently to keep your projects moving through the system. We have high hopes that 2022 will bring a new project management system to our team so we can move your products to listing even more quickly.

We wish good fortune to you all and hope that any stressors standing in the way of meeting your customers’ needs will subside. We would like to again ask each of you to please consider completing the following six-question Filtered Media newsletter survey to help us improve our communication efforts with you.

Here at IAPMO, we are hopeful that you, your colleagues, and loved ones continue to be healthy, happy, and energized for the new year!
Tina Donda
Vice President – Water Systems
Please take our one-minute, six-question survey to let us know how we're doing and how we can improve.
We're Hiring!
Director of Product Certification — Water Systems

IAPMO is currently seeking a Director of Product Certification for its Water Systems department. The role of Director of Product Certification will be to manage the daily operational functions associated with the technical aspects of the Water Systems and ASSE product certification programs by:
  • Managing the Water Systems and ASSE product listing programs engineering/ technical staff
  • Guiding the engineering/technical team to ensure certification requirements and procedures are understood and followed.
  • Reviewing test reports, drawings, calculations, and other supporting information to assure compliance to IAPMO recognized standards.
  • Working with clients to address questions and needs.
  • Developing and updating training programs for the engineering/technical team.
  • Establishing certification requirements for new types of products and programs.
  • Develops policies, procedures, and forms related to the technical aspects of Water Systems and ASSE listing programs.
  • Ensuring all certification activities meet accreditation requirements.
  • Facilitating external accreditation audits.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Live Science or comparable years of related experience or P.E.
  • Minimum of 3 years of work experience in Product Testing, Certification, standard development field, or related field
  • 5-years’ experience in the water treatment industry
  • Expert knowledge of water softeners, water filters, ROs
  • Expert knowledge of Water Systems performance standards
  • Working knowledge with accreditation requirements, such as ISO/IEC 17065, ISO/IEC 17020, and ISO/IEC 17025
  • WQA Certified Water Specialist preferred
  • Solid PC skills.
  • Computer literacy sufficient to operate spreadsheet and word processing applications (i.e., Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint).
OEHHA Prop 65 “Short-Form” Warning Label Notice
On December 13, 2021, California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) issued a notice to revisions proposed in January of 2021 to Prop 65 warning’s “short-form” notice. OEHHA is now open for public comments on the notice until January 21, 2022.

The public is strongly encouraged to submit written information through the OEHHA website at https://oehha.ca.gov/comments. In the alternative, comments can be mailed, emailed, or delivered in person to the address below.

Monet Vela
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
1001 I Street, 23rd Floor
P. O. Box 4010
Sacramento, California 95812-4010
Telephone: 916-323-2517

OEHHA’s regulations have contained an option for a “short-form” warning alternative for the consumer product exposure warning label. This option originally required a yellow triangle “!” hazard symbol, the word “WARNING:” in all bold capital letters, and a reference to OEHHA’s website, without actually naming the listed chemical. They limited when the “short-form” warning could be used, including requirements when labels are smaller than a certain size (see notice) and eliminated the short-form warning for use on product webpages and catalogs.

They have now backed away from those requirements and propose allowing for use of the short form on product webpages and catalogs where the short form is used on the product label. The physical size of the label allowing the short form was increased. Also, they proposed new options for the warning label: including “CA WARNING” or “CALIFORNIA WARNING.” OEHHA states this is to “allow businesses to make clear that the warning is being given pursuant to California law.”

OEHHA has not changed the proposal regarding the requirement to include a Prop 65 listed substance on the short-form warning, and not provided any additional time within which to implement these changes. The amendments would be in effect one year after the effective date.
WaterSense Considers Reverse Osmosis Systems for Potential Labeling
To help reduce water waste and promote the production and installation of more efficient reverse osmosis (RO) treatment systems, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing its intent to develop a WaterSense® specification for point-of-use RO systems. RO systems remove water contaminants such as lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PFAS, arsenic, bacteria, and viruses. Within residential settings, point-of-use RO systems typically supply treated water at the kitchen sink. These systems can also be found in commercial office spaces or kitchens.
While RO systems can improve water quality, they can also generate a significant amount of water waste during operation. A typical RO system can send four gallons or more of reject water down the drain for every gallon of treated water produced. Improvements in membrane technology and configuration designs now allow for more efficient systems.

With this announcement, EPA is releasing a Notice of Intent (NOI) that describes the efficiency and performance criteria WaterSense is considering for point-of-use RO systems to earn the WaterSense label. WaterSense is also looking to identify the technical issues and data gaps that still need to be resolved.

EPA is interested in your input. If you have comments or suggestions on developing a WaterSense specification for point-of-use RO systems, or information to resolve the existing data gaps, please contact watersense-products@erg.com.

For any questions regarding the WaterSense program in general, please contact the WaterSense Helpline at (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) or e-mail watersense@epa.gov.
On Wednesday, February 16, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern, EPA will host a webinar with stakeholders to discuss the RO systems NOI.
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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