NSF r e M a r k s
SPRING 2004
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E N S F D R I N K I N G WAT E R T R E AT M E N T U N I T P R O G R A M
A Journey of International Harmonization
T H E U N I T E D S TAT E S is very fortu-
nate to have a long history of national
standards for drinking water treatment
units. With an eye toward the strength
and sophistication of the U.S. market,
many international companies have
sought to meet NSF/ANSI Standards for
their product imports. As more interna-
tional companies achieve compliance
with these standards, there is a growing
movement to adopt the same or similar
requirements as foreign national stan-
dards. This is particularly true in Asia,
where consumer awareness of water qual-
ity issues and water treatment devices
rivals that of the American market.
So how does a country take the next step
in developing its own national standards?
Some prefer to start from scratch – fortu-
nately, not many. It makes little sense
when so much time and effort has been
invested in existing standards that are
often already used by local manufactur-
ers. It is also fortunate that few countries
opt for this method because it is inevitable
that the resulting standards will differ sig-
nificantly from NSF/ANSI.
While it seems logical that anyone writing
standards for a product would end at a
similar point-“similar” can often be dif-
ferent enough to require duplicate testing
against different methods intended to
answer the same basic questions. Subtle
differences, such as test pressures and
cycle times, can be enough to result in
duplicate efforts and higher cost. Another
option is to modify existing NSF/ANSI
Standards to meet local needs; a third is
to adopt them verbatim.
NSF freely makes available the NSF/ANSI
Standards to facilitate this process. It is
NSF’s goal to see the NSF/ANSI Standards
become the basis for all others, taking
advantage of the considerable efforts of
many and realizing the benefits of inter-
national harmonization.
While it would be preferred that the
NSF/ANSI Standards be adopted verbatim,
these standards represent a hurdle many
foreign manufacturers are not prepared
to meet or do not feel it is necessary to
meet. There is no question that the
NSF/ANSI Standards set a very high bar
for products. Consumer protection has
been a constant focus in our standards
development, leading to many safety
factors that likely go well beyond most
real-world applications.
It is these aspects of the standards that
come under scrutiny when they are con-
sidered for adoption in foreign countries,
and is the most common reason for the
locally adopted standards to differ from
those of NSF/ANSI. Of course, the final
decision rests with the individual coun-
try. In these situations, NSF tries to keep
the fundamental test methods as similar
as possible. If a country decides to modify
the standard, there are things that can be
done which do not result in a duplication
of testing to meet both the NSF/ANSI and
the local, foreign standard.
An example would be changing the maxi-
mum effluent criteria, or the length of
test for determining capacity. The same
test method can be used, but performance
can be measured at different times to sat-
isfy multiple standards. The more consis-
tent the test method, the easier it is for
NSF’s Tom Bruursema, center, meets with Taiwan
BSMI officials about the adoption of NSF/ ANSI
Standard 42 as a Chinese National Standard.
manufacturers to gain acceptance in
many markets through a single test.
Adoption of NSF/ANSI Standards
in Asia
In February, Tom Bruursema, NSF’s
General Manager for the Drinking Water
Treatment Unit Program, visited three
Asian countries —Taiwan, Korea and
Japan—to further the adoption of and
harmonization with NSF/ANSI Standards.
Here’s a snapshot of his trip:
Taiwan continues its move toward
adoption of the first Chinese National
Standard, based entirely on NSF/ANSI
Standard 42. NSF signed an agreement in
June 2001 with the Taiwan Bureau of
Standards, Metrology and Inspection
(BSMI). This agreement allowed transfer
of the NSF/ANSI Standards to BSMI
for their adoption as Chinese National
Standards. All six drinking water treat-
ment unit standards were included, along
with NSF/ANSI Standard 61. The BSMI
appointed an expert committee to review
the standards. The committee has met
many times to discuss Standard 42, and
its adoption is expected soon, followed
immediately by review of the others.
continued on page 7
NSF reMarks
EPA Guide Standard for Microbiological Water Purifiers
NSF HAS ISSUED ITS FIRST
certification to the USEPA “Guide
Standard and Protocol for Testing Micro-
biological Water Purifiers.” The USEPA
established the Guide Standard in 1986 to
test treatment systems making microbio-
logical claims of water purification.
According to the Guide Standard, a “puri-
fier” is any treatment system claiming to
remove, kill or inactivate all types of dis-
ease-causing microorganisms from water,
including bacteria, viruses and protozoan
cysts. Data generated under the Guide
Standard is required by the USEPA for
federal registration as a “purifier.”
The standard has long been recognized
as the bar that must be met to make the
claim of “purifier,” as administered by
the USEPA Office of Pesticide Programs.
The EPA Standard contains technology-
specific test protocols for halogenated
resins, ultraviolet treatment systems and
ceramic candles. The standard also sets
the general framework for developing
specific test protocols for any other tech-
nology. For example, this framework
includes specifications for characteristics
of the challenge water, designed to simu-
late a worst-case untreated water source.
It also includes provisions for elevated
levels of turbidity, TDS and TOC, high
and low pH conditions and varying water
temperatures, depending on the type of
technology.
Three tests are conducted according to
the EPA Standard. The protozoan cyst
reduction test can follow either the EPA
Standard or NSF/ANSI Standard 53 using
live cysts or microspheres. The bacterial
reduction challenge is performed with
Klebsiella terrigena, and a mixed challenge
of Polio and Rotavirus is used for the viral
challenge. Use of MS2 coliphage for the
viral testing, though not specified in the
Standard, has been accepted by EPA as a
suitable alternative. The table above
2
Microbiological Reduction Requirements of the EPA Standard
Test/Organism Influent Challenge Minimum Reduction
Concentration Log Percent 1 A combined
challenge of the
Bacteria
Polio and
Klebsiella terrigena 1x107/100mL 6 99.9999 Rotavirus is used.
Virus A joint 4-log
Poliovirus1 1x107/L 4 99.99 reduction is
Rotavirus1 1x107/L 4 99.99 acceptable.
MS2 Coliphage 2x107/mL 4 99.99
2
If testing accord-
Protozoan Cyst
ing to NSF/ANSI
Giardia muris 1x106/L 3 99.9 Standard 53, a
Giardia lamblia 1x106/L 3 99.9 3.3-log (99.95%)
Cryptosporidium parvum 1x106/L 3 99.92 reduction is
3 micron microspheres 1x107/L 3 99.92 required.
shows reduction requirements for all First Product Certified
three tests. to NSF Protocol P231
In January, Pall/Kinetico Purefecta™
To ensure that water treatment systems became the first product to become NSF
are fully evaluated before issuing NSF certified under NSF Protocol P231:
certification, the EPA Guide Standard was Microbiological Water Purifiers. NSF
combined with the requirements of the Certified products like the Pall/Kinetico
NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Treatment Purefecta™ enable consumers to protect
Unit Standards for evaluating materials, their families against potentially harmful
structural integrity, and requirements microorganisms in their drinking water.
for product literature. The combination
resulted in an NSF protocol — NSF Protocol Future of NSF Protocol P231
P231: Microbiological Water Purifiers.
NSF has been working with its standards
development committee for the past sev-
The term “protocol” helps distinguish
eral years to establish a complete set of
this from the many American National
NSF/ANSI standards for all microbiologi-
Standards published by NSF. A protocol
cal treatment claims that will encompass
has all the elements necessary to properly
the testing and certification under NSF
evaluate and certify products, but is not
Protocol P231. Two standards are being
an American National Standard. To fur-
proposed: one for supplemental treat-
ther distinguish the scope of certification,
ment of microbiologically safe water and
the product must carry specific text with
another for unsafe water. The unsafe
the NSF Mark that clarifies the document
water standard will mirror that of NSF
to which it has been evaluated, as shown:
P231, and will eventually replace the
Protocol with an NSF/ANSI Standard.
Multiple technologies will be addressed
under both the safe and unsafe water
standards, including mechanical, halogen,
distillation, UV and others.
The [INSERT TRADE DESIGNATION] system is
certified by NSF International against NSF P231
- Microbiological Water Purifiers based on the
recommendations set forth in the USEPA Guide
Standard and Protocol for Microbiological Water
Purifiers (OPP Task Force Report, 1987).
C E R T I F I E D
C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
Watts Water
Technologies
WATTS WATER TECHNOLOGIES,
INC. designs, manufactures and sells an
extensive line of valves and other prod-
ucts to the water quality, water regulation
and control markets. The company is a
good example of how to benefit from a
strong relationship with NSF across mul-
tiple subsidiaries and product lines.
Watts takes full advantage of its relation-
ship with NSF by participating in a co-
marketing program that promotes con-
sumer awareness by attending all NSF
Industry Forums and Joint Commitee
meetings, and by participating in NSF
training seminars and sponsorships at
NSF’s conferences. One subsidiary, Watts
Premier, teams up with NSF’s ETV
Drinking Water Systems Center through
the USEPA Environmental Technology
Verification (ETV) program. A Watts
reverse osmosis (RO) system is being test-
ed against a new Homeland Security pro-
tocol for reduction of microbiological
agents. The DWS center is one of several
U.S. EPA ETV centers dedicated to pro-
viding credible enviromental perform-
ance data.
Watts Premier produces a complete line
of water filtration products and compo-
nents, including filtration, RO, water soft-
ening and custom design (through its
retail division). Watts recently acquired
Flowmatic Inc., which also has products
certified by NSF International.
Watts has manufacturing plants and dis-
tribution channels throughout the United
States, Canada, and Europe, and the com-
pany also has a majority-controlled joint
venture in The People’s Republic of
China. Most of the company’s manufac-
turing plants and divisions have worked
with NSF International for several years
and have developed relationships with
Upcoming Events
March 18-19, Water Quality Association,
Baltimore, Booth 427-29
May 4-5, Conference: Risk Management
Strategies for Drinking Water Facilities,
Ann Arbor, NSF International World
NSF program representatives. Constant
Headquarters
communication–via phone calls, visits
to NSF, and e-mail– has brought them
March 24 and September 22 , Training:
substantial business benefits.
Product Certification Under NSF/ANSI
Standards 42 and 53
By making the NSF program representa-
tive part of its team, Watts receives the
results it seeks on such issues as meeting New Lab Course
important deadlines for new product NSF is pleased to announce a new DWTU
launches and revisions to its current testing lab course available only to NSF
product lines. customers. This course includes both
classroom and in lab training.
This close working relationship helped
streamline the certification process and June 15-17 and November 16-18
reduce time to market for Watts Premier’s DWTU Lab Testing Course
Zero Waste RO unit. Conference calls
with NSF and Watts Premier ensured that
the timelines were reasonable and that
the project was progressing to meet dead-
lines. NSF gave timely updates on testing
schedules, results, and when the product
would be posted on the NSF Listing
Web site. Recent Certifications
Watts has long used NSF Certification to THE WATERPUR COMPANY
distinguish its products in the market-
AQUAFLEX INTERNATIONAL
place. Premier has a variety of systems
and components certified to NSF/ANSI WATER RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL
Drinking Water Treatment Standards 42,
MAYTAG INTERNATIONAL, INC.
53, and 58. Another subsidiary, Watts
Regulator Company, has products certi- WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
fied to NSF/ANSI DWTU Standard 44,
SIAM CAST NYLON CO., LTD.
Standard 61, and Standard 18 for manual
food and dispensing equipment. Other IONICS FIDELITY WATER SYSTEMS
divisions –Watts Industries, Watts POLYMER AND STEEL TECHNOLOGIES HLDG. CO.
Radiant, and Watts Anderson Barrows–
have products certified against NSF/ANSI A. J. ANTUNES & CO.
Standards 14 and 61. FILBUR MANUFACTURING
FLOWMATIC SYSTEMS, INC.
From product certification to technology
verification, several of Watts Water Tech- LIQUATEC.COM
nologies’ key divisions have effectively
ELKEN SDN. BHD
leveraged NSF’s services to increase certi-
fication efficiencies and time to market. FILTERXPRESS DIV. OF PROCAM CONTROLS, INC.
WAVE CYBER (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD.
33
 S T A N D A R D S
NSF reMarks
Changes of Note in NSF/ANSI DWTU Standards
T H R O U G H A N O P E N consensus
process, volunteer task groups of dedicated
manufacturers, regulators, and users of
water treatment products have been dili-
gently pursuing various Standards-related
goals. Here’s an update on their recent
activities.
Perchlorate Reduction: RO Units
Perchlorate continues to be a very hot
topic. An NSF initiative in 2003 led to the
adoption of requirements for a perchlo-
rate reduction claim for reverse osmosis
systems under NSF/ANSI 58.
The test consists of a 130 ug/L perchlo-
rate challenge that must be reduced to
4 ug/L throughout the weeklong test
period to meet the requirements of
the standard. TDS water, consisting of
RO/DI-treated water with 750 mg/L of
NaCl added, is used to make up the
perchlorate challenge.
Please contact your program representa-
tive for more information on conducting
Perchlorate Reduction testing on RO
systems.
Perchlorate Reduction: Non-RO Units
Building on the momentum and success
of the efforts to develop a perchlorate
reduction claim for RO systems, a task
group has been formed to develop a test
for perchlorate reduction for non-RO
systems, including anion exchange resin
systems. This group is finalizing a pro-
posed test method that will include water
specifically formulated to contain poten-
tially interfering anions.
Because nitrate is frequently present
in water contaminated with perchlorate,
nitrate will be included in the proposed
test water. This is important because
anion exchange resins can potentially
become overloaded with nitrate and
4
U P D A T E
eventually leach nitrate back into product
water. To guard against this possibility,
the proposed protocol requires that prod-
uct water samples be monitored for both
perchlorate and nitrate.
Once the details of the protocol have
been finalized, several laboratories will
be asked to help validate the proposed
method for consistency and to ensure
that no unexpected issues arise when
conducting the test. The validated test
method will then be balloted through
the Joint Committee for adoption into
NSF/ANSI 53.
Standards Reformatting
NSF has completed reformatting of
NSF/ANSI 42, 44, 53, 58 and 62 to be
more logically ordered and easier to
follow. Test methods are contained in
one section, start to finish. Mandatory
contaminant reduction claims and other
mandatory system requirements are
separated from optional ones. Tables are
integrated into the applicable sections,
and addenda are now integrated into the
main bodies of the Standards.
NSF/ANSI 42–2002e and NSF/ANSI
53–2002e were printed on November 12,
2003. The reformatted versions of
Standards 44, 55, 58, and 62 will to be
issued this year.
Shower Filters (NSF/ANSI 177)
Draft NSF/ANSI 177 has been under
development for some time. In 2003, a
great deal of activity helped to move this
standard forward, including a round of
balloting, followed by teleconferences
with the task group, and a presentation to
the Joint Committee of the task group’s
proposal to resolve negative ballots. This
activity led to a reballot of the currently
revised version in early 2004 that is
underway at press time.
NSF/ANSI 177 will include a mandatory
contaminant reduction performance
claim for free available chlorine, a struc-
tural integrity test, and specific product
literature. Material safety is addressed
through wetted material reviews, a prohi-
bition of lead as a material formulation
ingredient, and a prohibition on solvent
bonding techniques.
TOC Surrogate
Total organic carbon (TOC) is present in
surface waters, primarily from decaying
organic material. Certain contaminant
reduction testing under NSF/ANSI 42
and 53 uses water from a public water
supply that must contain at least 1.0
mg/L of TOC. However, differences in
source water TOC composition and
concentration can cause differences in
NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 contaminant reduc-
tion capacities for the same product at
different laboratories. Such inter-labora-
tory variations in test results on the same
product are undesirable, and a task group
has been working to find a solution.
The group’s solution is to develop a stan-
dardized mixture of organic compounds
typical of naturally occurring TOC that
will ultimately be used when performing
certain contaminant reduction testing
under NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53, and
58. The TOC mixture will be added to
reverse osmosis/deionized (RO/DI)
treated water at a specific concentration
to create water of identical composition,
regardless of the public water supply
source for any laboratory performing
the contaminant reduction testing.
continued on next page
The group’s original TOC mixture con-
sisted of ten different compounds. After
solubility testing of these ten compounds,
two were eliminated and the group pro-
ceeded with a mixture of the remaining
eight.
The group then conducted a further pre-
liminary study to evaluate clogging of fil-
ter systems using RO/DI water containing
the proposed TOC mixture. Unfortunately,
the test filter systems clogged rapidly
under these conditions.
The next step will be to fine-tune the
TOC mixture to establish a water source
that does not exacerbate clogging of car-
bon block filters. Once that has been
completed, the group will evaluate con-
taminant reduction capacities with the
new TOC approach, and see how they
compare to capacities obtained with pub-
licly available water supplies. Look for an
update on this group’s progress in the
next issue of NSF ReMarks.
Standard 53 Arsenic III Reduction
Laboratory validation of a proposed
Arsenic III reduction protocol has been
completed. The task group has evaluated
the results and determined that the vali-
dation was successful. Based on this eval-
uation, the group will soon prepare a
ballot for adoption of the claim into the
Standard. After adoption of the claim for
Arsenic III reduction, units can be certi-
fied for total arsenic reduction claims
when meeting both the Arsenic III and
Arsenic V requirements. Watch for an
update in the next issue of NSF ReMarks.
Microbiological Treatment Standards
Work continues on the “safe water” stan-
dard for microbiological treatment tech-
nologies. This “safe water” standard will
have a new number–NSF/ANSI 244.
Work is ongoing through a number of
sub-task groups, organized by technology.
The sub-task groups on halogen tech-
nologies and mechanical filtration have
each proposed sections of NSF/ANSI 244
that have been through an initial ballot of
the Joint Committee.
As a next step, the sub-task group chairs
presented ballot comments at the May
2003 meeting of the Joint Committee
meeting, which voted to allow the groups
to proceed and resolve the pending
issues. Since then, the mechanical filtra-
tion sub-task group has written a new
draft that is being discussed and will be
balloted soon. The halogen technologies
sub-task group is currently working on
its new draft.
Sub-task groups for the heat inactivation
and ozone technologies will base their
development on the work of the halogen
technologies and mechanical filtration
groups.
The NSF Standards group has established
a framework for the “unsafe water” stan-
dard, which will be NSF/ANSI 221.
Activity will begin in 2004 and should
proceed quickly, using NSF/ANSI 244
and other unsafe water treatment testing
work conducted by NSF as a basis.
Cyst Microsphere Round Robin Study
A study to investigate the inter-laboratory
comparability of test results for NSF/
ANSI cyst reduction testing has been
conducted. Carbon block filters from the
same production lot were supplied to a
number of participating laboratories.
Three laboratories (NSF and two manu-
facturers) tested the filters against the
NSF/ ANSI 53 cyst microsphere reduc-
tion protocol.
To limit the variables in comparing
results, the microspheres and clogging
dust were supplied by NSF from the same
lots. The data from the three laboratories
has been circulated to the task group. The
task group will hold a conference call to
discuss the test results obtained with the
nominal clogging dust required by
NSF/ANSI 53, as well as results from
fine clogging dust. Look for an update on
the task group’s interpretation of results
in our next issue.
Still have questions? Call Tom Bruursema
or Rick Andrew at 1-800-NSF-MARK, or
contact your program representative.
Recent Certification
Developments in Canada
Quebec Regulation and Compliance
Requirements
Quebec still requires that all drinking water
treatment units be certified to the applicable
NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Treatment Unit
Standard (NSF/ANSI 44, 53, 55, 58, and
62). Products must be certified by an organ-
ization accredited by the Standards Council
of Canada (SCC) for these products. NSF is
SCC accredited, allowing for acceptance in
Quebec of all NSF Certified drinking water
treatment units. NSF Certified products are
in full compliance with the original regula-
tion issued in September 2002.
Three interim options for approved sale of
products in Canada are intended to allow
manufacturers time to come into full com-
pliance with the regulations by July 1, 2004
for NSF/ANSI Standards 53, 58 and 62 and
October 1, 2004, for NSF/ANSI Standards
44 and 55. These interim options are due to
expire this year:
• DWTUs in which the components in con-
tact with the potable water are certified
to NSF/ANSI 61 or NQ 3660-950.
• DWTUs covered by the “Environmental
Technology Verification (ETV)” program
of NSF International’s Drinking Water
Systems (DWS) Center.
• DWTUs certified under the terms of the
“Gold Seal” program of the Water
Quality Association (WQA).
<end-use>*
New Agreement with CSA International
U.S.
NSF recently announced a cooperative
NSF
agreement with CSA International to facili-
C data. The agreement
tate the sharing of test
will allow mutual certification customers to
reduce the testing necessary to achieve both
NSF and CSA certifications. Introduction of
the cNSF Mark has helped many NSF cus-
tomers obtain acceptance in Canada with-
out carrying dual certifications. However,
some NSF customers want to have dual cer-
tification with CSA. Establishing a relation-
ship that allows for the review and accept-
ance of each organization’s test data will
simplify this process.
5
 NSF Gains Recognition R E A C H I N G O U T T O C O N S U M E R S
for Another Consumer-
Focused Program NSF’s Live Safer™ Consumer
The National Football League and NFL Campaign Gets Rave Reviews
Player’s Association (NFLPA) recently
announced a new agreement with NSF
L A S T S E P T E M B E R , NSF Inter- By the Numbers
International to test dietary supplements
national launched a brand awareness The statistics attest to the success of the
for substances banned by the NFL. The campaign to highlight the vast reach of consumer awareness campaign:
agreement marks the first time that a pro- NSF and the importance of the NSF
fessional sports organization or player’s Mark. The campaign seeks to encourage Advertising: 167 million impressions to date
association has sought third-party testing consumers to Live safer™ and help them • Wall Street Journal (9 ads) 33,201,000
on the dietary supplements made available understand the influence and extensive impressions
to its players. impact NSF has on individuals and • USA Today (10 ads) 56,940,000
impressions
public health worldwide.
• People (4 ads) 141,332,000 impressions
Eligible and participating manufacturers of
• Forbes (2 ads) 8,970,000 impressions
nutritional supplements may certify the In conjunction with
• Sports Illustrated (2 ads) 42,372,000
accuracy of product labeling and certify the Live safer™ cam-
impressions
that the products contain no substances paign, NSF launched
• Time (3 ads) 71,691,000 impressions
banned under the NFL/NFLPA Policy on Clean Hands Across
• Better Homes & Gardens (2 ads)
Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances. America,™ a public
78,974,000 impressions
Supplements that pass the purity test will health and safety
carry a seal of approval from NSF and will initiative that pro- Early response to the campaign
also be available to the public. motes handwashing as a simpler, yet • 2,790 e-mails in the last quarter of 2003
highly effective way to prevent the (a 56 percent increase)
spread of infectious diseases and food- • 465 CD-ROM requests in October,
Most supplements are no longer under
borne illnesses. The campaign reinforces 445 requests in November, and
pre-market regulation by the FDA and are
the importance of proper handwashing to 608 requests in December 2003
not tested by federal or state governments.
parents, children, educators and foodser- • The NSF Consumer Affairs Office
Independent studies have suggested that a
vice personnel. continues to average 20-30 CD-ROM
significant number of supplements contain
requests per day
ingredients not listed on the packaging,
Consumer response to the Live safer™
including ingredients banned by the NFL Consumer Response in 2003
campaign has been immediate and posi-
and NFLPA Policy. This program addresses
tive. The NSF Consumer Affairs Office E-mails/Written Inquiries 7,800
this problem by providing players with a handled a record 13,000 inquiries in Phone Calls 5,404
reliable source of non-banned supplements. 2003, with the DWTU program generat- Media Mentions 205
ing the most interest. Literature Requests 1,144
Gene Upshaw, executive director of the CD-ROM Requests 1,531
NFL Player’s Association, recently told the Web Hits 3,991,781
Associated Press: “If the players take these
products, this is a way for us to guarantee
that what they take is what’s on the label.” New Web Site
in the Works
Through NSF private label certifications,
consumers can also look for the NSF Mark
NSF will soon launch a
on supplements in many retail stores,
new Web site that con-
including General Nutrition Corporation
(GNC), Kmart, and stores selling Nutrilite tains special features,
products. articles and consumer
tips. At left is a sneak
Neither the NFL nor the NFLPA endorses or encour- preview of the new
ages the use of supplements or makes any claims home page!
regarding their effectiveness.

6
International Harmonization,
continued from page 1
Korea has had a mandatory program
for drinking water treatment units since
August 1997, when the Ministry of the
Environment (MOE) amended the Act
on Drinking Water Management, requir-
ing manufacturers to certify their prod-
ucts. The local certification is managed
by the Korea Water Purifier Industry
Cooperative (KWPIC). Members of both
the MOE and KWPIC have visited NSF
to learn about our standards and certifi-
cation process.
Bruursema met with these organizations
during a recent visit, and an NSF seminar
drew many industry and government
participants, including the Korea
Consumer Affairs Institute and other key
stakeholders. Their discussion focused on
changes in Korean requirements to better
harmonize with NSF standards. NSF
Certification has always been accepted by
KWPIC to meet their local requirements.
Now, KWPIC is looking to move further
toward the NSF requirements for all
companies doing business in Korea.
The Japanese Industrial Standards
(JIS) include separate standards for mate-
rials, structural integrity and perform-
ance. In addition, there are regulatory
requirements under the Household
Goods Quality Labeling Law that make
compliance mandatory for all products.
Compliance can be demonstrated
through a third-party or by self-declara-
tion. The material and structural stan-
dards were adopted in 1997, and the per-
formance standard in 1999. Although
similar in their foundation, there are
Representatives from NSF and JWPA met in Tokyo in February to discuss how to harmonize
NSF and JIS standards and outline a working relationship for product certification.
An awards presentation in Seoul, Korea, during
an NSF seminar on NSF/ANSI Standards to help
further harmonization with Korean standards.
many differences between the JIS and
the NSF/ANSI Standards.
The Japanese Water Purifier Association
(JWPA), an industry trade group, has
been very active in the establishment of
the JIS standards. JWPA and NSF have
had a long working relationship. Their
representatives have visited NSF, and NSF
has met with them in Japan. During
Bruursema’s most recent visit, JWPA and
NSF began the first discussions toward
a more complete understanding of each
organizations standards, their origin, and
a mutual commitment to work toward
harmonization.
NSF’s latest visits are examples of the
many activities worldwide related to stan-
dards development for drinking water
treatment units. All continents are taking
action, recognizing that these products
bring a great benefit to consumers, but
need to be tested and certified to ensure
that benefit is being delivered. NSF is
committed to offering the NSF/ANSI
standards for use and openly listening to
ideas of others for change and expansion
of the NSF/ANSI standards.
NSF Lab to Add Next-
Generation Injection Test Rigs
New test rigs that add capacity and capability
for conducting contaminant reduction test-
ing are expected to be operational in the
NSF Lab this June. Six new injection test
stands will be added, further expanding
NSF’s extensive network of test facilities.
“This new rig is the fifth generation injection
test rig that NSF has developed,” said
Laboratory Manager Rob Herman. “We
considered feedback from customers and
tailored our capabilities to meet their
needs,” he said.
In line with the recent demand to test rela-
tively high flow rate systems, the new rig
will be able to deliver flow rates of up to 20
gpm. The rig is fully contained in the NSF
Microbiology Lab, which will allow all six
stands to be used for full microbiological
contaminant reduction testing that includes
challenges with pathogenic organisms. The
rig will be equipped with a chiller so that
high-flow testing can be performed at tem-
peratures as low as 4°C.
In addition to the microbiological contami-
nant feature, the fifth-generation injection
test rig will be able to handle all contami-
nants normally run through injection test-
ing. This includes all Standard 53 organic
contaminants, as well as Standard 42 chlo-
rine reduction, and all Standard 42 and 53
mechanical filtration tests. The new rig can
also be used for Standard 58 contaminant
reduction testing of RO systems.
7
NSF Remarks
Spring 2004
A publication of
NSF International
NSF Drinking Water Treatment
Unit Certification Program
Tom Bruursema, General Manager
Rick Andrew, Technical Manager
Craig Zechman, New Client Sales
Editor
Greta Houlahan,
Communications Specialist
NSF International
789 N. Dixboro Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105 U.S.A.
Web site: www.nsf.org
Phone: 1-800-NSF-MARK
Fax: (734) 769-0109
To request additional copies of this
publication or to submit information, con-
tact Greta Houlahan at (800) NSF-MARK,
ext. 5723, or houlahan@nsf.org.
NSF International, an independent,
not-for-profit, non-governmental organ-
ization, is dedicated to being the leading
global provider of public health and safety
risk management solutions while serving
the interests of all stakeholders. NSF provides
product certification and safety audits for
the food and water industries. Other services
include management systems registrations
delivered through NSF International Strategic
Registrations, Ltd., and education through
the NSF Center for Public Health Education.
Serving companies in 80 countries, NSF was
founded in 1944 and is headquartered in
Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
NSF International
P.O. Box 13140
Ann Arbor, MI 48113-0140 USA
NSF to Host Conference on Applying
HACCP to Water Utility Operations
O N M AY 4 - 5 , 2 0 0 4 , NSF Inter-
national will host a two-day conference
Conference Sponsors
at its Ann Arbor headquarters on the
Our thanks to the following sponsors for
application of Hazard Analysis Critical
contributing their expertise and support:
Control Points (HACCP) in drinking
water utility operations. The event will World Health Organization
offer a North American perspective on
the feasibility and benefits of Water Safety NSF/WHO Collaborating Center for
Drinking Water Safety & Treatment
Plans, as well as the use of HACCP and
Management Systems as tools to improve American Water
risk management practices in the water
American Water Works Association
treatment and supply industry.
American Water Works Association
Additional topics include: Research Foundation (AwwaRF)
• WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water
Canadian Water Works Association
Quality and Water Safety Plans.
• Potential synergies of HACCP with Association of State Drinking Water
ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 management Administrators (ASDWA)
systems.
National Association of Water Companies
• Relationship to existing quality and
security programs such as QualServ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and EPA vulnerability assessments.
Health Canada
“This conference is a follow-up to the NSF International and NSF Center
‘Risk Management Strategies for for Public Health Education
Drinking Water’ conference held in
April 2003 in Berlin,” said Stan Hazan,
For more information, log onto
Executive Director of the NSF Center for
www.nsf.org/cphe or contact Stan Hazan,
Public Health Education. “It will elabo-
at hazan@nsf.org or 1-800-NSF-MARK,
rate on the risk management concepts for
extension 5105.
securing drinking water safety discussed
during the first conference.”
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 56
Ann Arbor, MI