Certification of Chemicals and Products for Purity, ANSI/NSF 60 & 61

Introduction

Owners and operators of public water systems need to ensure that chemicals used in treating public water supplies, and other products or coatings in contact with drinking water do not inadvertently cause contamination. In order to ensure such safety, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) requires that such treatment chemicals and products meet purity standards and are manufactured under appropriate levels of cleanliness.

These standards are commonly known as the ANSI/NSF Standards 60 and 61. Standard 60 addresses the health effects of treatment chemicals in drinking water. Standard 61 addresses the material integrity of products under various physical and chemical conditions and then evaluates the resulting health effects. The MassDEP requirement is 310 CMR 22.04(8). This regulation is shown at the end of this fact sheet. This certification of chemicals and products is required by MassDEP.

Currently there are at least two entities providing the certification of treatment chemicals and products in accordance with the protocol of Standards 60/61:

NSF International
http://www.nsf.org/

Underwriters Laboratory (UL)
http://www.ul.com/

Owners or operators of public water systems in Massachusetts are responsible for ensuring that chemicals and other products in contact with potable water are certified in accordance with NSF Standards 60 or 61 as appropriate. Chemicals or devices having this certification show the logo of the certifier on products or packaging, and thus it is very easy to identify if such products are certified.

1. Packaging of Standard 60 Chemicals

Concerning the repackaging of ANSI/NSF standard 60 certified chemicals. In many cases local suppliers purchase standard 60 certified chemicals in bulk and repackage in smaller increments for local needs. If there is no modification of the ANSI/NSF certified chemical, then MASSDEP will accept self-certification by the re-packager that the material is equivalent to the ANSI/NSF standard 60 certified chemical in purity. If the chemical is in any way modified by the addition or removal of ingredients or the addition or removal of water, direct recertification to the ANSI/NSF standard 60 is required.

2. Suggested Bid Statement

The product shall have been produced in accordance with the ANSI/NSF standard 60. A copy of the manufacturers certification document shall be submitted with the bid. If the product has been repackaged, the re-packager shall certify in writing, that the purity of the product remains equal to that when shipped. This re-packager certification shall be signed by a principal of the repackaging firm and shall be on the re-packager's letterhead.

3. For More Information

Please call MassDEP's Drinking Water Program at 617-292-5770 if you have further questions. We would appreciate your suggestions concerning this fact sheet. For a complete list of all fact sheets please visit MassDEP drinking water program, http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/systems.htm#capacity.

Massachusetts Regulation: 310 CMR 22.04(8)

(8) New Product or Technology.

(a) No supplier of water shall  add, install or use any chemicals, drinking water additives, or  treatment devices or equipment that come into direct contact with drinking water, unless such devices or equipment have received the prior written approval of the Department.

(b) To obtain the Department's approval of a new product (e.g., additives, coatings), a manufacturer shall demonstrate that the product:

1. Conforms to the applicable American National Standards Institute/National Sanitation Foundation (ANSI/NSF) Standard 60 or 61; or Underwriter Laboratory (UL) standards or the performance of the technology has been verified by Environmental Technology Verification (ETV); and

2. Was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prior to April 1990 and conforms to the standards of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

(c) To obtain the Department's approval of a major new technology system, a manufacturer shall demonstrate that:

1. The major technology has been approved and used successfully in the United States for at least five years.  In addition, such major new technology must have been approved and used successfully in three states for at least two years. One of the three states must either be a New England state or New York state or another state determined by the Department to have similar environmental conditions, and the other two states must be primacy states.

2. If a technology does not meet the requirements of 310 CMR 22.04(8)(c)1., then the technology must be piloted in Massachusetts in accordance to 310 CMR 22.04(9).

3. The technology received a favorable review from ETV, UL, ANSI/NSF or AWWA.

(d) If the technology is a vending machine, then National Automatic Merchandizing Association (NAMA) certification shall be required to obtain the Department's approval.

(e) If the technology is a POU/POE device it shall conform to the requirements of 310 CMR 22.23.

(f) Persons seeking to have a product or technology listed are directed to follow the procedures set forth in the Drinking Water Program's policy entitled: "New Product or Technology Review Policy " DWP Policy No. 89-01, a copy of which is available from the Drinking Water Program. The Department may revoke its approval of a product or technology if it determines that the product or technology is defective or performs inadequately in the field.

(g) For products, if the drinking water chemicals or coatings have NSF certification, a NSF certification shall also be required of the original producer of the product. Re-packers of chemicals are not required to be formally certified, but shall self-certify to the Department that the cleanliness of their procedures and purity of the resultant product is equivalent to the standards applicable to the original manufacturer. Any local reformulation of chemical requires certification in accordance with NSF 60.

(h) Any public or private entity providing the testing and certification described in 22.04(6)(b) for other parties shall be certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).