Role of Independent Third Party Testing Organizations in Application of Water Treatment Technologies in Society

1. Role of Independent Third Party Testing Organizations in Application of Water Treatment Technologies in Society NSF International ( NSF) Water Programs Fall 2009 Environmental Engineering Seminar Series

2. Agenda • About NSF • Product Standards • Product Certification Programs • Water Programs • Water Distribution Systems • Drinking Water Treatment Units • Wastewater Programs • Summary • Q&A

3. About NSF’s Early Days • Before NSF, no national standards existed in the U.S. for products that could directly impact public health, including food and water. • NSF was founded to provide national, consensus standards development, testing and certification. • Independent, not-for-profit organization (not government). • NSF was established in 1944 by Professors at the School of Public (University of Michigan).

4. NSF Then and Now • Called the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and is now NSF International. It is not the National Science Foundation. • Initial focus was Foodservice Equipment; now includes water and the environment. • Initially 2 faculty and students and now: • 700+ staff, scientists and engineers (many from MSU) and • 500+ independent field auditors, worldwide. • Began in one lab in the basement of the UMSPH and now consists of 250,000 sq. ft. in Ann Arbor facility. • Initially work only with Food and Drug Administration and now includes the EPA, USDA, CDC, NIH.

5. NSF World Headquarters: Ann Arbor, MI • The Public Health and Safety Company • Stakeholders include Universities, Utilities trade associations and various government agencies. • Largest Testing Facility of its Kind in the World Today.

6. NSF Mission NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is dedicated to being the leading global provider of public health and safety-based risk management solutions while serving the interests of all stakeholders.

7. A Global Network WRc-NSF WHO CSTB JIA SII NSF Shanghai An-Shi-Fu SAI

8. Water Safety and Treatment Drinking Water Quality Guidelines Recreational Water Safety Guidelines Food Safety NSF is a Collaborating Centre forThe World Health Organization - Only organization to have these designations

9. NSF Standards • More than 60 U.S. national standards. • Developed with input of all stakeholders, including Federal agencies, experts, industry and regulatory. • Open and transparent process. • ANSI “Audited Designator”. • Comply with OMB Circular A119. • Frequent updates.

10. Users Manufacturers Regulators Regulators NSF Standards Development Process Consumers Laboratories Utilities Consultants IndustryRepresentatives FederalState Local

11. The NSF Standards Process • Consensus body. • ANSI Public Comment. • Request to Initiate: Develop Draft Standard & Joint Committee (Consensus Body – balanced representation) • Ballots & Resolution of Appeals • Council Public Health Council (CPHC) Ballots • Standard Adopted NSF/ANSI • Standard Announced • Public Review and Comment Public Review of Draft Standard Public Commenter's Right to Appeal Appellant’s Right to Appeal to ANSICPHC Technical Committee

12. NSF Council of Public Health Consultants (CPHC) • Academic and regulatory professionals provide independent, public health ratification step • No industry representation • Approx 35 members, includes FDA, CDC, EPA, CPSC, state and local health officials, International representatives • Oversee and vote on all standards • Oversee certification programs

13. NSF Testing and Certification General Process • Application • Formulation and Toxicology Review • Plant Inspection and Product Sampling • Laboratory Testing • Toxicology Review of Audit and Test Results • Certification and Listing • Annual Follow-up with unannounced plant inspections

14. NSF Testing and Certification Programs • Plastics Piping • Plumbing Products • Food Service Equipment • Food Processing Equipment • Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals • Drinking Water System Components • Pool and Spa Circulation Equipment • Wastewater Treatment Units

15. NSF Testing and Certification Programs - continued • Drinking Water Treatment Units • Biohazard Cabinetry • Dietary Supplements • Nonfood Compounds • Environmentally Preferred Products • Bottled Water Certification • Sustainability • Environmental Management Systems

16. Domestic and International Accreditations OSHA NRTL ISO 14001

17. Widely Recognized and Accepted • Regulators: Local Health Departments; State regulators; used in permit process • Water Utilities and City organizations. • Code Bodies: plumbing; food safety; building. • Manufacturers, Distributors, Retailers in purchase/performance specifications

18. New Initiatives • Nanotechnology–Standards development for health effects. • Joint Venture in China • Sustainability: e.g., sustainable forestry initiative, green house gases; travel and tourism; environmentally preferred products. • Scrub Club - A Program To Keep Kids Healthy; its goal to raise awareness about the benefits of hand washing among families to improve the health of children.

19. Drinking Water • Standard 60 – Chemicals • Standard 61 – Water Equipment • Standard 14 – Plastic Piping • Code Compliance - Plumbing • Residential Point of Use and Point of Entry Drinking Water Treatment Standards • Community Water Treatment Verification (EPA collaboration).

20. NSF Water Programs • Municipal Water Supply Products • Treatment Plant to Water Meter • Treatment Chemicals • Drinking Water Treatment Devices • Residential and Commercial Point of Entry and Point of Use • Community through collaboration with EPA under Environmental Technology verification (ETV)

21. NSF Water Programs - continued • Plumbing Products • Plastic piping • Water Conservation Devices (EPA Water Sense) • Wastewater Programs • Residential via NSF Standards • Community via ETV • Bottled Water

22. Municipal Water Supply Products • Products are certified to NSF Standards to ensure that they do not introduce hazardous levels of contaminants into the water supply. • NSF Standard 60 –Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals –Health Effects • NSF Standard 61 –Drinking Water System Components –Health Effects

23. Municipal Water Supply Product – NSF 60 Treatment Chemicals • Establishes minimum health effects requirements for treatment chemicals • Active ingredients: Is the chemical safe at its maximum • use level? • Impurities: Are contaminants below maximum allowable levels?

24. Municipal Water Supply Product – NSF 61 Drinking Water System Components • Establishes minimum health effects requirements for materials in contact with water • What contaminants migrate or extract into water? • •Establishes minimum health effects requirements for materials in contact with water • Are contaminants below maximum allowable levels? • Employs risk assessment for unregulated and unknown chemicals.

25. Examples of products covered by NSF 60 & 61 • Well drilling aids, grouts, & casings • Well cables, pumps & cleaning chemicals • Treatment Chemicals: • Coagulation and flocculation • Corrosion and scale control • Disinfection and oxidation • Equipment: • On site chemical generators • Filtration Equipment • UV and Ozone & other disinfection & oxidation equipment • Chemical feeders and pumps

26. Plumbing Products • Plumbing products are evaluated to make sure they do not contaminate water and that they meet physical durability • NSF Standard 61 –health effects of materials • Various Standards on product durability e.g. resistance to pressure testing, life cycle testing, dimensions, impact resistance

27. EPA WaterSense Program • EPA’s Voluntary Program for Water Efficiency • Similar to Energy Star Program • Pilot High Efficiency Toilets (1.3 gpf) • High efficiency bathroom faucets (1.5 gpm max flow) • Shower Heads.

28. EPA ETV Program, Water Centers and NSF Collaboration • The EPA founded the ETV program in 1995. • ETV Program designed to facilitate greater acceptance of new technologies. • There are 2 ETV Water Centers • NSF administers the US EPA’s ETV Drinking Water Systems Center (DWSC) and the Water Quality Protection Center (WQPC)

29. ETV DWS CenterHistory and Background • October 1995 - Start of ETV Drinking Water Systems (DWS) Pilot managed by NSF. • October 2000 - Formation of the ETV DWS Center managed by NSF. • Evaluate innovative and emerging technologies like UV in 1998. • Focus on small systems technology needs. • State regulatory support. • An on-going EPA program with new agreement 2009.

30. Need for Data and Information. • A 1985 study identified barriers to innovative technology use in drinking water. • Some are relevant today: • Uncertainty of new technology capabilities. • No uniform guidelines for testing. • Exaggerated performance claims. • Technologies not tested in a “real world” setting. • Equipment said to be O&M “free”. • Limited EPA involvement in innovative & emerging technology testing.

31. ETV DWS Center Produces Information • Independence of EPA and NSF. • Technical efficacy with QA oversight. • Typically performance tested in field when practical. • Process information (schematics, capacity, etc.). • Ease of operation and operator experience evaluation. • Electrical, pre- and post-treatment requirements. • Consumables: chemicals and power. • Waste disposal issues.

32. ETV DWSC Reports, Protocols etc. • Verified performance of 30 drinking water treatment technologies since 2002, which are posted on the EPA’s ETV web site: http://www.epa.gov/etv/vt-dws.html • Membrane Filtration Micro • Other Filtration Media Technologies • Arsenic technologies (media, RO, chemical coagulation) • Emergency response and water security systems • 14 meetings or conference calls with stakeholders • One new UV protocol(10 total)

33. EPA ETV & NSF Water Quality Protection Center (WQPC) • Verify technologies that protect ground- and surface waters from contamination • Location of 30 technology verifications and protocols: www.nsf.org/info/etv • Center technologies fall into five main categories: • Decentralized Wastewater Treatment • Watershed Protection • Urban Infrastructure Rehabilitation • Wet Weather Flow

34. EPA ETV & NSF WQPC Technologies • Decentralized: • Wastewater Treatment Technologies (a generic protocol, applicable to a wide range of technologies has been developed) • Nutrient Reduction Technologies • Watershed protection: • Ballast Water Treatment Technologies • In-Drain Treatment Technologies • Mercury Amalgam Removal Technologies • Solids Separators for Flushed Swine Waste • UV Disinfection Technologies for Secondary Effluent and Reuse Applications

35. More EPA ETV & NSF WQPC Technologies • Urban infrastructure: • Coatings • Grouts • Pipe Liner Materials • Wet weather flow technologies: • Stormwater Treatment Devices • High-Rate Disinfection (Induction Mixers and UV Disinfection) • High-Rate Separation • Flowmeters • Urban Runoff Models

36. Regulations for Water Products in the USA • Federal: • EPA through Safe Drinking Water Act • FDA 21 CFR for Bottled Water • State: • Regulate public water and waste water • Storm water controls • Some regulate plumbing • Counties: Residential drinking water and waste water and enforce plumbing codes. • Cities – Plumbing and buidling codes.

37. Point of Use (POU) and Point of Entry (POE) Drinking Water Treatment • 1968 U.S. Health Officials and Industry Representatives requested NSF develop Standards • Demonstrate product performance. • Standardize testing and claims. • NSF Standard 42; Aesthetic Claims. • NSF Standard 53; Health Claims e.g., Cryptosporidium reduction. • NSF Standard 58; Reverse Osmosis. • NSF Standard 44; Softeners. • NSF Standard 62; Distillation. • NSF Standard 55; Ultraviolet. • NSF Standard 177; Shower Filters.

38. POU and POE Technologies • Carbon typically as a solid block • Filters for Sediment • Resins for ion exchange • High pressure membranes like Reverse Osmosis • Ultraviolet radiation • Distillation • Medias for arsenic

39. POU / POE System Types NSF Certifies • Counter-Top Manual Fill. • Counter-Top Connected to Sink Faucet. • Faucet Mount. • Personal Water Bottle. • Plumbed-In Under Counter. • Plumbed-In Under Counter to Separate Tap. • Pour Through Pitcher.

40. What is in a POU POE NSF Standard? • Material safety; no contaminants produced by the product. • Structural integrity; water tightness. • Product literature; accurate consumer information. • Demonstration of performance for individual contaminant reduction claims. • Structural Testing Intent: product will not structurally fail when subjected to use conditions like water pipe pressure variability.

41. Product Literature and Labeling in a POU POE NSF Certification • Installation, operation and maintenance instructions for consumers. • Prepared in easy to understand terms. • Data plate on the product to show key information. • Performance data sheet so consumer is fully informed on the products performance.

42. Conclusion: Third Party Certification avoids “buying a pig in a poke”! A common colloquial expression in the English Language to buy a pig in a poke, is to make a risky purchase without inspecting the item beforehand. Source Wikipedia

43. Third Party Standards requires advancement of science / engineering “We have to live today by what truth we can get today and be ready tomorrow to call it falsehood.”  ~William James

44. Contact • Contact us: • Email bartley@nsf.org. • 800 673 6275 x 5148. • 789 Dixboro Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. • More information see web pages: • www.epa.gov/etv. • www.nsf.org/etv/info.