Julia Cronin is gold seal account representative for the Water Quality Association (WQA). Cronin can be reached through [email protected].
undefinedWQA’s Gold Seal Product Certification team has expanded resources for certifying products to NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 for a wide variety of drinking water treatment chemicals. From municipal water processing plants to residential well maintenance, water treatment professionals rely on chemical treatments for a wide range of functions to ensure they are providing consumers with safe, healthy drinking water.
The standard is important to verify that chemicals will not exceed safe standards within the water that reaches consumers in homes or places of business. Third-party certification provides consumers, retailers and regulators the assurance that a product has passed rigorous annual testing according to industry standards.
WQA’s Gold Seal Product Certification program ensures that a product is constructed or formulated from safe materials, the claims listed on the packaging are backed by test data, and product testing conditions match the usage instructions provided to its end users. As of 2021, WQA’s new advanced laboratory provides expanded capabilities to test a variety of products, on time and at competitive rates.
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 covers various chemicals that may be added to water for different types of treatments, including coagulation and filtration chemicals to remove solids (such as silica), scale control (such as limestone), and disinfection/oxidation (such as bleach or ammonia). For these types of products, a chemical analysis is conducted to evaluate a variety of possible contaminants, based on the prescribed concentration of the chemical in drinking water. Because testing is repeated on a yearly basis, end users can be sure that evaluations are done against the most recent and stringent safety criteria.
We caught up with WQA Gold Seal Account Representative Julia Cronin to learn more about the program.
Question: What is Standard 60?
Julia Cronin: Standard 60 applies to any chemical which is intended for use in drinking water. Examples include chemicals for disinfection, pH adjustment, corrosion and scale control, filtration aids and many others.
Q: How is WQA prepared to certify products to Standard 60?
Cronin: Our team includes experts in regulatory and certification requirements, toxicology and analytical chemistry. WQA’s certification body is uniquely focused on drinking water applications, which means we have honed our resources and expertise on a smaller set of ANSI standards, including Standard 60. Our new laboratory was specifically designed to serve these standards and this segment of the industry.
Q: What changes are we making to the process now?
Cronin: These are all internal process changes, so existing clients likely will not notice any changes, except maybe some improved timelines. We are adding staff, updating equipment, streamlining our processes, and overall building out the program for expansion and efficiency.
Q: What are the requirements for certification?
Cronin: The basic requirements include a chemical analysis and a factory audit, which are repeated on an annual basis.
Q: What is involved in the testing process?
Cronin: The sampling process is very simple. We send a test kit with detailed instructions on how to collect your sample and how to safely ship it to our laboratory for analysis. Results go through a rigorous quality assurance review before the reports are delivered to our clients.
Q: How easy is it to get started?
Cronin: Very. We work with each client individually to gather the product information we need to determine their certification requirements. I work with clients who could recite Standard 60 in their sleep, and I work with others that have never dealt with this standard before. Whatever your level of experience, our goal is to guide you through the process as quickly and painlessly as possible.
Q: What is the first step?
Cronin: To get started or learn more about our program, please reach out to our team at 630.505.0160 or email us at [email protected].
The Water Quality Association has a vision for water treatment where we are actively improving our world through cleaner water and safer products. We often refer to this aspect of treatment as the Final Barrier that prevents waterborne contaminants from entering a home or business.
Whether your water arrives from a community treatment plant, municipal well or other source, WQA’s member companies are committed to making that water safe and aesthetically pleasing for those who consume or use it. Learn more about NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification at wqa.org/60.
