Kohler,
Moen and Price Pfister become first NSF-certified faucet companies to demonstrate compliance
with new lead regulations.
NSF
International announced that
Kohler,
Moen and
Price Pfister have
become the first faucet companies to get NSF certification for their plumbing products that comply with
the new low lead requirements. Certification allows manufacturers to
demonstrate compliance with new state laws, established to help protect the
public from exposure to lead, well ahead of the January 1, 2010 deadline. Previously, it was reported that both Delta Faucet and Chicago Faucets had received
similar certification for certain products from the CSA, an alternative certifying body.
The new
section of NSF/ANSI Standard 61 - Annex G –
Weighted Average Lead Content Evaluation Procedure to
a 0.25 Percent Lead Requirement – includes the recently
enacted legislation in California and Vermont that mandates a maximum weighted
average lead content requirement of ≤ 0.25 percent. Other states are also considering
low lead content legislation. The new lead requirements apply to manufacturers
of faucets, valves, water fittings, and other products that come in contact
with drinking water. Compliance with NSF/ANSI Standard 61, the American
National Standard for Drinking Water Products, is also required.
NSF/ANSI
Standard 61:
Drinking Water System
Components - Health Effects was updated in December to
incorporate requirements for use when the ≤ 0.25 percent lead content
requirement must be met, in addition to current chemical extraction
requirements of the standard. Compliance is determined by a weighted average
calculation involving the maximum percent lead content of material
specifications and wetted surface areas.
To receive
certification, Kohler, Moen and Price Pfister met the new lead content
requirement of ≤ 0.25 percent and the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 61,
Annex G. All three companies have been certified by NSF to Standard 61 for many
years, and they now comply with the new low lead requirements well ahead of the
deadline.
Kohler,
Moen
and
Price
Pfister are listed on the NSF Web site with a footnote indicating
compliance with the new requirements.
“By
obtaining Annex G certification, Kohler, Moen and Price Pfister are emphasizing
their commitment to quality and public health protection,” said
Nasrin
Kashefi, General Manager, NSF Plumbing Programs. “Certification is
important because it expands the choices available to consumers when selecting
products for their homes. We congratulate these leading manufacturers for being
proactive in their response to these new requirements.”
To ensure
ongoing compliance with the new lead requirements, NSF will conduct annual,
unannounced inspections of the manufacturing facilities for certified products
and re-test products on a regular basis.
"Annex
G is a consensus standard that took into consideration comments from key
stakeholders in California and nationwide. It gives companies a valuable tool
for assessing compliance with California's lead content standard. Companies
that meet the standard will be at a competitive advantage,” said
Bruce
La Belle, Chief, California Department of Toxic Substances Control,
Environmental Chemistry Laboratory.
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