Water meters meet current, planned regulatory standards

Legislative StandardsOn January 4, 2011, President Obama signed legislation revising the definition for "lead-free" within the SDWA as it pertains to "pipe, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures." Entitled the "Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act," it includes changes effective January 4, 2014.These revisions will require that drinking water system products consist of no more than 0.25 percent weighted average lead content, based on a wetted surface area. Evaluations of Neptune's lead-free bronze water meters according to (NSF/ANSI) Standard 61, Annex G (a standard that will be replaced by NSF/ANSI 372 in October 2013) demonstrate compliance with the requirement.NSF/ANSI Standard 61 limits the amount of chemical extraction, or "leaching," of metals as part of its performance requirements. Effective July 2012, there will be a reduction of the Total Allowable Concentration (TAC) of leached lead from 15 micrograms per liter to 5 micrograms per liter. This change is drafted as Annex F to NSF/ANSI Standard 61. Neptune's lead-free water meters currently meet the revised performance standard as well.

TALLASSEE, AL, Apr. 8, 2011 -- Neptune announced recently that all its bronze meters, which are made in the U.S., currently meet the future lead-free requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act as well as planned revisions to NSF/ANSI standards regarding lead in drinking water system components.

While many other meter manufacturers use '81 brass,' a bronze alloy containing seven percent lead, Neptune President Charles C. DiLaura said that the company made a significant investment to switch to lead-free bronze in 2001. "After weighing all the social and environmental benefits, we believed that our decision was prudent," he said, "and the current regulatory environment has validated our position."

Neptune's water meter manufacturing facilities are dedicated to lead-free operations, production, and testing -- the first and only in North America, according to the company.

"As the regulations around lead content in bronze plumbing devices change, our customers can be assured that the bronze body meters they buy from Neptune not only meet the current, but also planned requirements," DiLaura said.

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