NSF International announced that NSF/ANSI Standard 61, “Drinking water system components - Health effects,” now allows additional types of stainless steel as acceptable materials in the manufacturing of drinking water equipment.

According to Dave Purkiss, general manager of NSF's Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution Systems Program, 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.

To verify the acceptability of stainless steel, NSF tested randomly selected samples from stainless steel manufacturers. The samples underwent an intensive three-week exposure period according the Standard 61 requirements. Collected water samples were analyzed for a wide range of contaminants, including lead, arsenic and chromium.

Forty-five U.S. states and two Canadian provinces require drinking water system components to comply with NSF/ANSI 61 requirements.