Why NSF-61 Is Important: State Regulations and Compliance

NSF/ANSI Standard 61 (NSF-61) is a set of national standards that relates to water treatment. It establishes stringent requirements for the control of equipment that comes in contact with either potable water or products and chemicals that support the production of potable water.

NSF-61 tests can vary from a basic cold water test using water at different pH levels, to the more challenging chemical certification. In all cases, testing is completed before and after exposure to a given fluid. This helps determine if anything has been leached out or extracted from the equipment. 

NSF-61 was developed by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), a global independent public health and environmental organization, and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which oversees the consensus for developing standards for manufacturing and procedures in the United States.

NSF/ANSI-60 vs. NSF/ANSI-61

There are two parts of NSF standards: regulation and enforcement.

While NSF/ANSI-60 standards are concerned with chemicals themselves, NSF/ANSI-61 sets guidelines for components (for example, tanks) that handle chemicals. By utilizing NSF/ANSI-61 compliant equipment, companies further ensure their chemicals do not become non-compliant with NSF/ANSI-60.

Regulations have been in place for quite some time. However, due to a number of different factors, the last few months have seen an increased focus on enforcement.

NSF/ANSI-61 and State Regulations

Each state has its own law with regards to NSF/ANSI-61 regulations. For example, Title 22 drinking water standards in California have been in adoption since March of 2008. Thus, all products and components utilized in conjunction with drinking water must be compliant with Title 22 regulations.

It’s important to note that most manufacturers only test pH 5, pH 8 and pH 10 exposure waters defined in the standard.  This helps account for the variety of waters found across North America, but does not predict leaching of materials in chemical storage tanks.  Poly Processing NSF certified tanks have gone through the most demanding tests to ensure materials are not leached into the chemical.

Download Your State’s Standards

Chemical Specific NSF-Certified Solutions

Poly Processing offers NSF-certified solutions from all three of our production facilities for the storage of the following chemicals:

If the health inspector has recently visited your facility and labeled it non-compliant, you’re not alone. We encourage you to contact us to discuss a solution for your individual situation.

In addition to being environmentally conscious, Poly Processing’s Upright, IMFO, and SAFE-Tanks are all NSF/ANSI-61 certified. Any associated fittings also adhere to these stringent specifications.  

Find out more about NSF-61 and its importance by downloading our NSF/ANSI-61 Guide.