In some way or another, everyone who works in the plumbing or piping industry deals with water on a regular basis. Everyone, no matter what their occupation, is exposed to water, and its vapor, in nearly every facility they enter. It has just been in recent years that the general public has become aware of the potential hazards that they are exposed to from drinking and bathing in water, or breathing it in through mist or droplets. Of particular concern to the elderly, very young, sick, or otherwise immune compromised, is the threat of Legionnaire’s disease. ASSE International is working from multiple fronts to address solutions to water quality issues. In this column, I hope to raise awareness of how trained and certified personnel are part of the solution to improving water quality.
In June 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) issued a mandate for medical facilities requiring that facilities develop policies to reduce the risk of growth and spread of Legionella and other opportunistic pathogens in water. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems, defines legionellosis risk management requirements for building water systems. ASSE has developed four new professional qualifications standards designed to help facility managers comply with the CMS mandate and ASHRAE 188. These standards establish the knowledge and experience needed to qualify contractors and tradespersons to participate on building water management teams. ASSE 12060-12063 afford a verification and validation path to compliance with standards and guidelines related to cooling towers, water features, potable water systems, fire protection, ice machines, humidifiers, and all piped systems which currently reside in all occupied buildings.
- Contractors from all plumbing or piping trades are certified to ASSE Standard 12060, Water Quality Program Professional Qualifications Standard for Employers and Designated Representatives
- Plumbers are certified to ASSE Standard 12061/12060, Water Quality Program Professional Qualifications Standard for Plumbers
- Pipefitters and HVAC Technicians are certified to ASSE Standard 12062/12060, Water Quality Program Professional Qualifications Standard for Pipefitters and HVAC Technicians
- Sprinkler fitters are certified to ASSE Standard 12063/12060, Water Quality Program Professional Qualifications Standard for Sprinkler Fitters
ASSE International is not a training provider, but we work with training providers that offer classes to plumbing and piping tradespersons covering the knowledge and skills needed to develop and implement risk management programs for water systems around the country. The program requires that all candidates take a four-hour (minimum) fundamentals (ASSE 12060) course. Contractors take an exam at the conclusion of the ASSE 12060 course. Tradespersons take an additional eight-hours (minimum) in water quality course work specific to their trade before taking an exam. At the conclusion of the class, ASSE assesses the students by administering a written exam.
Trained and certified tradespeople are an integral part of the water management team. They understand the component parts of a good water quality management program and have the needed experience and knowledge of the systems that they work on every day. The water quality program also prepares those enrolled to map, monitor, identify risk, offer control measures, collect water samples, and provide documentation as required by ASHRAE 188.
ASSE 12060-12063 standards are included in the newly revised ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 12000-2018, Professional Qualifications Standard for Infection Control Risk Assessment for All Building Systems. Also included in the appendix of the Series 12000 are forms and charts that outline control measures for the different classes of hazards within a building water system, risk groups, and system types. A chart of control points is also included, as well as forms needed to do a building water system risk assessment for Legionella.
ASSE is also developing a professional qualifications standard and certification program for those who install and maintain water treatment equipment. ASSE Series 22000, Professional Qualifications Standard for Water Treatment Equipment Personnel, is expected to be completed in 2019. This standard and certification will meet the continually increasing need for qualified and knowledgeable individuals to properly size, set-up, and plumb water treatment equipment. ASSE brought together subject matter experts from the water treatment and plumbing industries to develop this standard. ASSE 22000 certified individuals will have the product, system, and installation knowledge necessary to install and maintain treatment equipment, and the water quality knowledge needed to ensure that the equipment is functioning as designed. When hiring ASSE 22000 Certified personnel, consumers and contractors can be confident that equipment will be installed and maintained correctly.
ASSE International’s effort to address and improve water quality for all buildings is clear. We are developing standards for equipment and systems; we are creating professional certifications to determine the knowledge needed by those tasked with installing and maintaining the equipment; we are helping to create a qualified workforce that can participate on water management teams to help keep building water systems free from pathogens and contaminants that could make occupants sick.
