The
Water Quality Association launched a new certification program for companies
facing low-lead laws that will go into effect Jan. 1 in California.
Beginning in 2010, California
state law will prohibit the introduction into commerce of any product intended
to convey or dispense water for human consumption that is not “lead-free,” as
defined in the California Health and Safety Code Section 116875 revisions in
Assembly Bill 1953. The maximum allowable lead content will be 0.2 percent lead
in solder and flux, and 0.25 percent lead in products made to convey or
dispense drinking water, determined by a weighted average of wetted surface
areas.
All pipe, plumbing fixtures, solder or flux must
be certified by an independent American National Standards Institute-accredited
third-party. Other products covered by the new California regulation (such as
drinking water treatment products) may be required to obtain certification
through an ANSI-accredited certification body as well.
Vermont has passed similar rules, which are
covered by the new WQA certification program. The WQA will work with companies
to be compliant before the Jan. 1 deadline. Under the process:
- WQA will perform a desktop
review of lead content.
- WQA’s laboratory will perform XRF (X-ray
fluorescence) scanning on materials that contain lead in their formulation and
some materials that are disclosed not to contain lead in their formulation to
confirm the exact lead content.
- Digestion will be performed if the results
from the XRF scan are higher than the disclosed percentage lead content.
Products registered under California’s “Water
Treatment Device Certification Law” will not require additional third-party
certification to the low-lead standard, but all products will have to comply
with the revisions to the California Health and Safety Code using one of the
following methods:
- Self-certify or substantiate
that products comply.
- Third-party laboratory testing demonstrating
compliance.
- Product certification using an ANSI-accredited
certification body to verify compliance.
For questions on the certification process,
contact the WQA Gold Seal sales staff at: 630-505-0160.
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