NSF/ANSI 61 Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects serves as the health standard for all plumbing products and materials, covering those materials and products that come into contact with drinking water, drinking water treatment chemicals or both.
The standard encompasses everything from the plumbing products in buildings to the equipment used to treat and store water at a water treatment plant. Products and materials covered under NSF/ANSI 61 include (but are not limited to) protective materials such as coatings, gaskets, pipes and related products such as fittings and tanks, mechanical plumbing devices such as faucets and endpoint control valves, and mechanical devices such as valves and chlorinators used in treatment/distribution systems.
The standard’s intent is to evaluate any contaminants or impurities that are passed indirectly into drinking water. Two of the standard’s more crucial tests are performed for inorganic contaminants and organic contaminants and require specific laboratory equipment and conditions.
IAPMO R&T Lab constructed a dedicated laboratory to fulfill the unique requirements of NSF/ANSI 61 testing. Now the facility offers capabilities previously not available at IAPMO R&T Lab — the ability to run the toxicological tests required by NSF/ANSI 61. As a result, IAPMO R&T Lab’s highly experienced engineers can test fixtures, fittings, pipe, valves and other products to NSF/ANSI 61.
“We are using what is state-of-the-art instrumentation to give reliable results in a reliable manner,” said Mike Briggs, manager, chemical testing, IAPMO R&T Lab. (Briggs manages the laboratory’s operations and oversaw its construction.)
The facility contains the latest equipment for measuring regulated metals and organics (ICP/MS and GC/MS, respectively). Inorganic contaminants (metals that leach from a product) are monitored by ICP/MS (inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry). Organic contaminants are monitored by GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) after appropriate additional sample preparation. The high performance and capability of the equipment allows manufacturers to have their products tested quickly and accurately at a reasonable cost.
By offering testing for NSF/ANSI 61, IAPMO R&T Lab is a one-stop shop, providing manufacturers with the ability to have plumbing devices tested to mechanical (ASME) standards and NSF/ANSI 61 standards within one facility. In addition, IAPMO R&T Lab has helped many manufacturers with the application for this listing with its ANSI-accredited sister company, IAPMO R&T. This allows manufacturers a preferred choice for speed and accuracy when selecting a certification laboratory and product listing agency.
Marilyn Pitts
Last modified: July 14, 2023