by Brianna Crandall — July 15, 2016 — Global public health organization NSF International and global building technology society ASHRAE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) dedicated to protecting public health and increasing industry awareness by establishing safe management practices for building water systems.
These systems include cooling towers, air-conditioning units for large buildings, hot tubs, large complex water systems (in hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and institutions), and decorative fountains, which can contribute to public health concerns such as Legionella.
Under the terms of the MOU, NSF International will provide its 70-plus years of water industry expertise and ASHRAE will leverage its building systems expertise to jointly develop NSF/ANSI 444: Prevention of Injury and Disease Associated with Building Water Systems, the first NSF standard to address building water quality.
This new standard will address concerns such as legionellosis, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is on the rise. The CDC estimates that between 8,000 and 18,000 people are hospitalized with Legionnaires’ disease in the United States each year, with more than 4,500 cases reported in 2014.
Water quality often degrades once water enters buildings, and it could expose occupants to hazards such as microbial pathogens, toxic chemicals and physical hazards, notes NSF. NSF/ANSI 444 seeks to provide a methodology for the systematic analysis of building water systems and the application of control measures necessary to prevent harm and to maintain public health.
U.S. public health and environmental organizations at the state and federal levels, members of ASHRAE, private healthcare systems, academia and those in the water industry are participating on the joint committee to develop this standard. This standard is expected to be released in 2017.
The MOU will ensure the ongoing advancement of future collaborative projects between NSF and ASHRAE, and jointly continue to educate the industry about the importance of building water health initiatives.
More information is available on the NSF International Center of Excellence for Building Water Health Web page.
