Technologies continue to improve the performance and sophistication of plumbing systems, as well as their ability to monitor and control the water we use. As technologies advance, the speed at which they are introduced to the industry has rapidly increased as well. This puts pressure on plumbing professionals (regulators, engineers, contractors, tradespersons, and others) to learn and understand these new products. It is not only important to understand the new products — it is imperative to know that the products are meeting a minimum level of safety and performance. This is a unique challenge for the developers of product performance and safety requirements.
ASSE International Partners with IAPMO to Develop Industry Standards
As the introduction of new technologies accelerates, the demand to develop and publish the essential requirements of for these products in an expedient manner is a growing challenge.
ASSE International has partnered with IAPMO in the development of Industry Standards, designated as ASSE/IAPMO Guide Criteria (IGC). This partnership allows ASSE and IAPMO to share internal resources, expertise, and processes to develop standards in a timely manner. These industry standards are developed utilizing technical expertise of the technology being addressed, and experience, as standards writing organizations, to write effective requirements. The proposed standard is reviewed by the IAPMO Standards Review Committee (SRC) — the IAPMO consensus body for industry standards — for approval. The proposed standards also go through a public review (PR) period. All comments received from the SRC and PR must be addressed before publishing the industry standard.
The advantage of developing industry standards is that they are developed by a focused team of technical experts and standards developers, such as ASSE and IAPMO. These standards can be developed in a shorter period than that of a national standard. Industry standards can then be used to provide the initial document (seed document) for the development of a national standard, should the industry desire it.
Filtration and Filtration-Related Activity Are Areas Where Technology is Having a Significant Impact
Technological advancements are improving our ability to measure and control the quality of the water we use. Devices and systems are being designed for distinct applications with the goal of reducing very specific water chemicals. ASSE continues to lead in establishing standards for new technologies related to water treatment systems.
Recently, ASSE/IAPMO published ASSE/IAPMO IGC 370, Point of Entry Regenerable Well Water Filtration. This Industry Standard covers point of entry regenerable (using dissolved oxygen) well water filtration systems intended for residential and commercial applications. The devices covered by this standard are intended to reduce arsenic, iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide from drinking water. [NOTE: Non-regenerating water treatment systems and residential water treatment systems designed to reduce arsenic, iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide, and that regenerate with chemicals such as sodium chloride or potassium permanganate shall be tested to NSF/ANSI 42 or 53.]
ASSE/IAPMO IGC 370 requires the product to meet the requirements of NSF 61 and 372. Additionally, it requires the structural integrity of the devices be evaluated. The standard sets and validates reduction requirements for arsenic reduction (both the trivalent and pentavalent species) as well as the reduction of iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide. In the future, this IGC will be developed into an ANSI/CAN standard — ASSE 1370.
Another example of a ASSE’s leadership is the development of ASSE/IAPMO IGC 376, Ultra-Pure and Sterile Water – Water Treatment Devices. This standard is nearing completion and is expected to be published in 2023. IGC 376 is written to capture improved capabilities of membrane technology.
Membrane separation technology has developed from common reverse osmosis to ultrafiltration to microfiltration and now to nanofiltration. This standard addresses the nanofiltration technology and covers products producing sterile or ultrapure water using tap water as a source. Before continuing, a couple of definitions are in order:
- Ultrapure Water — Water that has been purified to uncommonly stringent specifications. It is virtually free of all contaminants, including organic and inorganic compounds.
- Sterile Water — Water free of all viable (living) microorganisms.
Ultrafiltration removes discrete particles from 0.1 μm down to 0.005 μm (5 nm). [Note: Standard filtration removes discrete particles of around 0.01 mm (10 μm) in size.]
Materials used in nanofiltration are also being referred to as membranes, even though they are very different. Nanofiltration uses nanofibers. These fibers have diameters of significantly less than one micrometer and are therefore measured in nanometers.
Ultrapure water parameters covered in this standard include conductivity, TDS, pH, TOC, sodium, chloride, silica, heterotrophic plate count (HPC) bacteria, virus (MS-2; ATCC 15597-B1), and endotoxin (from Escherichia coli ATCC 33780).
ASSE/IAPMO IGC 376 requires the structural integrity of the devices to be evaluated and identifies and/or verifies the water production rates. ICG 376 validates the performance claims depending on the claim being made and requires that claims be clearly identified on the product and in the product literature. In the future, this IGC will be developed into an ANSI/CAN standard — ASSE 1376.
ASSE International’s Continued Commitment
ASSE will continue to monitor market trends and new technologies, and work with the industry to develop the necessary requirements and documentation, when appropriate, to ensure that products introduced into commerce are safe, meet the expectations of users, and meet the claims being made.
