NSF International has developed a compositional standard for products that come in contact with drinking water, including faucets, in support of the new requirements in California that take effect Jan. 1, 2010.

NSF Internationalhas developed a compositional standard for products that come in contact with drinking water, including faucets, in support of the new requirements in California that take effect Jan. 1, 2010.

The new requirements are incorporated into the NSF/ANSI American National Standard for Drinking Water Products to help protect the public from exposure to lead.

Annex G –Weighted Average Lead Content Evaluation Procedure to a 0.25 Percent Lead Requirementallows manufacturers to demonstrate compliance to recently enacted legislation in California that limits the weighted average of lead content in plumbing products, which come in contact with drinking water, to 0.25%.The annex was incorporated into NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components - Health Effects, a standard that includes procedures to evaluate products that come in contact with drinking water and to screen out those products that could contribute excessive levels of contaminants into drinking water.

Products covered in the standard include: pipe and related products; protective and barrier materials (including cements/coatings); joining and sealing materials (including gaskets, adhesives, lubricants); process media (including carbon, sand, zeolite, ion exchange media); mechanical devices (including water meters, in-line valves, filters, process equipment); mechanical plumbing devices (faucets, drinking fountains, and components); and potable water materials (non-metallic materials).The inclusion of Annex G ( www.nsf.org/media/enews/AnnexG.pdf) is important for manufacturers selling products in California who must comply with the new lead content requirements in addition to the current chemical extraction requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 61. Other states are also considering low-lead content legislation.

“Annex G establishes a protocol to determine product compliance with the 0.25 percent maximum weighted average lead content requirement of the California Health & Safety Code. It is our expectation that states with low lead requirements will recognize Annex G in their regulations, and this will provide a uniform method for product evaluation,” said Pete Greiner, technical manager, NSF Water Treatment and Distribution Systems Program.

For more information on Annex G and NSF/ANSI Standard 61, visitwww.nsf.org/info/wdsfaq/index.asp.