NSF Standard Accepts
New Stainless Steel Materials in Drinking Water Applications
February 10, 2006
NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components -
Health Effects now allows additional types of stainless steel as
acceptable materials for use in the manufacturing of drinking
water equipment.
“The incorporation of these stainless steel grades allows
drinking water treatment and distribution equipment
manufacturers greater latitude in selecting stainless materials
for products that are certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61,” said
Dave Purkiss, general manager of NSF’s Drinking Water Treatment
and Distribution Systems Program. According to Purkiss, the
incorporation of these additional grades into the standard will
save equipment manufacturers time and expense in getting their
products certified to NSF 61 while continuing NSF’s ongoing
commitment to protecting the public.
NSF/ANSI Standard 61 is the American National Standard that
ensures pipes, tubes, storage tanks and other products that come
in contact with drinking water do not contribute levels of
contaminants that could cause serious health problems.
Forty-five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces require
drinking water system components to comply with NSF/ANSI
Standard 61 requirements.
The NSF/ANSI Standard verifies that stainless steels are
highly resistant to leaching of contaminates into potable water.
Duplex stainless steel grades 2205, 2304, 2101 and 2003 have
been incorporated into the standard. These are in addition to
types 304, 304L, 316 and 316L, which had previously been
accepted under NSF/ANSI Standard 61.
To verify the acceptability of stainless steel, NSF tested
randomly selected samples from stainless steel manufacturers.
The samples underwent an aggressive three-week exposure period
according to the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 61. Collected
water samples were analyzed for a wide range of contaminants
including lead, arsenic and chromium.
The modification of the standard was approved by the NSF
Joint Committee on Drinking Water Additives, which oversees
NSF/ANSI Standard 61, and the NSF Council of Public Health
Consultants, an independent advisory group of professional and
regulatory officials, which reviews all NSF standards to ensure
they provide public health protection. The additional section
can be found in Annex C of NSF/ANSI Standard 61: 2005.
“The stainless steel industry has responded to the
requirements of the water product manufacturers who needed a
larger selection of stainless steel grades that were acceptable
under NSF 61. This allows the industry a greater selection of
materials that can be used in NSF 61-certified products without
further testing,” said John Grocki, treasurer of Stop Pipe
Leaks, Ask for Stainless Help (SPLASH), Inc.
Source: NSF February 10, 2006
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