Drinking Water Safety

Title:	Drinking Water Safety
Publication date:	2/14/2022
Effective date:	7/31/2012

BRIEF

Policy Summary

The Drinking Water Safety Program outlines the management of the plumbed drinking-water system at Berkeley Lab. This includes:

Modifications
Repairs
New additions
Maintenance

This policy describes how the drinking-water quality at Berkeley Lab meets all federal, state, and Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines as well as recognized good practice.

Who Should Read This Policy

Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors who either use drinking-water systems or perform work pertaining to drinking-water systems at Berkeley Lab

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

To Read the ES&H Program Details, Go To:

ES&H Manual, Chapter 42

Contact Information

For concerns about drinking-water quality:

Facilities Division Work Request Center, ext. 6274

Or visit the Facilities Division Work Request Center Web page

For guidance on disinfection of drinking-water systems, or for requests for sampling of drinking water:

EHS Subject Matter Expert for Water Quality: Drinking Water (Potable Water Systems)

Title:	Drinking Water Safety
Publication date:	2/14/2022
Effective date:	7/31/2012

POLICY

A. Purpose

The Drinking Water Safety Program outlines the management of the plumbed drinking-water system at Berkeley Lab. This includes:

Modifications
Repairs
New additions
Maintenance

This policy describes how the drinking-water quality at Berkeley Lab meets all federal, state, and Department of Energy (DOE) guidelines as well as recognized good practice.

B. Persons Affected

Berkeley Lab employees, visitors, affiliates, and subcontractors who either use plumbed drinking-water systems or perform work pertaining to plumbed drinking-water systems at Berkeley Lab

C. Exceptions

Not applicable

D. Policy Statement

Most drinking-water hazards fall within a few common areas:
1. Some drinking-fountain units and copper-pipe dead legs (dead-end pipes) that are not flushed or used frequently can produce copper contamination in excess of allowable levels.
2. Rust from iron piping is observed in some older facilities. Occasionally, other various off-colors and tastes are reported.
3. When designing/installing potable water systems that supply chemical-containing systems, adequate backflow devices that prevent back-siphoning of materials into the potable water system must be installed (Work Process A).
All plumbed drinking-water fountains must have baseline testing for lead and copper concentrations in the water (Work Process B).
Water systems must be isolated from the main water system and not put into service (excluding small jobs, see below) as potable water until the water is confirmed free of coliform bacteria (Work Process C).
1. New piping installations in drinking-water systems must be tested for coliform bacteria before they are released for use with potable water unless the work is of a small scale, and provided the parts are individually disinfected.
2. Routine monitoring. The plumbed drinking-water system for each building must be tested for coliform bacteria annually (Work Process D).
It is recommended that potable drinking water dispensers be cleaned at least every six months by Maintenance & Operations (M&O) or the user group (Work Process E).

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Role	Responsibilities
Facilities Division – Architecture & Engineering (A&E)	Ensures that all written contracts involving repair, modifications, and additions to the drinking-water system comply with the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety Program and include disinfection and testing requirements Issues written Stop Work notice to contractors in noncompliance with the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety Program Informs and coordinates with Facilities/PIMD and the Drinking Water Program Manager on all upcoming work involving drinking water systems
Facilities Division/PIMD	Reviews disinfection procedure with M&O and provides oversight to ensure contractors perform work in compliance with the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety Program Issues Stop Work notice to contractors in non-compliance with the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety Program Approves new piping tie-ins to the main water system. Note: This is a jointly shared responsibility between Facilities and PIMD Notifies EHS when the contractor is ready to start the disinfection procedure Provides EHS with disinfection certification documenting proper chlorination procedure and residual chlorine concentration
Facilities Division – Maintenance and Operations (M&O)	Completes annual inspection and function check of all backflow preventers by or under the guidance of a certified employee Performs filter changes (per manufacturer specs - every 6 months) and flushing of all plumbed drinking water receptacles Provides EHS Operations Support Team (OST) with samples for coliform and total heterotrophic bacteria samples Audits work performed by contractors to ensure compliance with the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety program. Informs the Inspection Groups of noncompliance. Disinfects and/or cleans water coolers, drinking fountains, backflow preventers, etc., as needed Supplies potable water to all Berkeley Lab employees. Takes corrective action to resolve issues. Corrective action may include cleaning and/or replacing drinking fountains, pipes etc. Approves all tie-ins to the main water system. Note: This is a jointly shared responsibility with PIMD Ensures that there are backflow preventers at all locations where it may be necessary to run hoses from potable water systems into tanks or other receptacles containing hazardous liquids
Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Division – Operations Support	Provides site-specific guidance and recommendations Approves waivers or exceptions to guidelines in the Berkeley Lab Drinking Water Safety Program, provided such exceptions comply with all applicable regulations and will not compromise water quality Sends water samples to accredited laboratories for analysis, with the exception of project contract requirements for subcontractors for subcontractors to coordinate Provides M&O with drinking-water sample results and recommendations
All Berkeley Lab supervisors and building managers	Ensure that there are backflow preventers at all locations where it may be necessary to run hoses from potable water systems into tanks or other receptacles containing hazardous liquids

F. Definitions/Acronyms

See ES&H Manual Drinking Water Safety Program for technical terms related to the details of this policy and its implementation.

Term	Definitions
Backflow Preventer	A device installed in a water line to prevent water traveling in the reverse direction
Coliform Bacteria	A type of bacteria whose source is human and animal fecal matter. Although not necessarily disease-causing themselves, coliforms can be indicators of organisms that can cause dysentery, hepatitis, typhoid fever, cholera, etc.
Contractor	A contractor employed by Berkeley Lab. Both contractor and work crew will be non-Berkeley Lab employees.
Disinfection	Sanitizing a system or its components to kill any coliform bacteria that may be present
Drinking-Water Fountain	A fountain piped to a building's domestic water supply that may be capable of cooling and/or heating the water
Drinking Water Filter	An inline water filter (cold water only) utilized to reduce contaminants and improve potable water quality and taste
Potable Water	Water approved for drinking that meets all federal and state guidelines and standards

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

PIMD with maintain water sampling records on a project by project basis. EHS will maintain water sampling records for EHS-collected data in CHESS.

H. Implementing Documents

Document number	Title	Type
07.07.010.001	Drinking Water Safety	Program
07.07.010.002	Work Process A, General Requirements	Process
07.07.010.003	Work Process B, Drinking Fountain Testing	Process
07.07.010.004	Work Process C, Disinfenction of Water Testing	Process
07.07.010.005	Work Process D, Bacteria Testing	Process
07.07.010.006	Work Process E, Water Dispensers (Bottled Water)	Process

I. Contact Information