NSF and CDHS Announce New Agreement to Expedite Certification

NSF International announced a new agreement with the California Department of Health Services (CDHS) that will expedite the certification approval process for water softeners and water filters sold within the State.

The new agreement with CDHS, whose mission is to protect and improve the health of all Californians, will substantially reduce the time it takes to get drinking water treatment products to market.

“We are pleased to enter into this cooperative agreement with NSF and expect that this will result in much quicker issuance of California device certifications for those manufacturers who pursue third-party certification," said Leah Godsey Walker, P.E., chief, technical operations section, Drinking Water Technical Programs Branch, California Department of Health Services.

Under the terms of the agreement, manufacturers of water softeners and water filters that have been certified by NSF’s Drinking Water Treatment Units Certification Program will be able to work directly with NSF to gain certification from the State of California. NSF Certification ensures that these products meet NSF/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standard 44: Cation Exchange Water Softeners Overview and/or NSF/ANSI Standard 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects.

According to Tom Bruursema, General Manager, NSF Drinking Water Treatment Units Certification Program, “This new agreement with CDHS streamlines the process for manufacturers by allowing them to work with NSF as their ‘one-stop shop’ for NSF certification and California DHS certification, without compromising the strict requirements of both organizations.”

“Drinking water treatment manufacturers and CDHS will experience substantial cost and time savings as a result of this agreement,” said Bob Ferguson, vice president, NSF Water Systems. “In addition to simplifying the process for manufacturers, this program also will ensure that public health is not compromised.”

Lynda Dyane, coordinator, Water Treatment Device Program, California Department of Health Services, played an instrumental role in the development of the agreement. Discussions regarding the potential addition of NSF/ANSI Standard 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Systems to the CDHS agreement are also underway.

Source: NSF International