Standard 61 is determined by a committee of manufacturers, toxicologists, water utilities and federal and state regulatory officials, said NSF (which is unrelated to the U.S. National Science Foundation). The standard is recognized by the nonprofit American National Standards Institute and the Standards Council of Canada (a federal “Crown corporation”). The EPA says it “has supported the development of independent third-party testing standards for plumbing materials” under Standard 61, the agency says. The EPA’s only safety requirement for pipes and other plumbing materials is that they are free of lead. Nearly all U.S. states require utilities to use pipes and other water distribution system products that are certified to Standard 61.
How the pipe wars play out — in city and town councils, in state capitals, in Washington — will determine how drinking water is delivered to homes across America for generations to come. Each of the studies, however, drew the pointed attention of the other NSF , which reported$123 million in revenuein 2020. On a voluntary basis, manufacturers of products ranging from water system components to microwave ovens may pay fees to NSF, or any of several other competitors, to assess whether products meet standards and whether they merit certification.
With these pipes being one of the most popular ways to smoke, there are thousands of different types for you to choose from. A percolator is designed to diffuse hot smoke through the water inside the chamber of a bong to delivery smoother, cooler, and less harsh hits. There are dozens of different types of percs, and each one offers different advantages and disadvantages.
The first is the release of chemicals into water from the pipe material, a process called leaching, which has been documented in several studies. The second route, called permeation, involves pollutants such as gasoline that can seep from groundwater or soils glass pipes through the walls of plastic pipes, which has been noted in reports by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Water Research Foundation . And finally, plastic pipes exposed to the high heat of wildfires are at risk for melting and other thermal damage.
As many as 8,000 children were exposed to unsafe levels of lead in Flint, Mich., after the city switched to a new water supply but failed to properly treat the water with chemicals to prevent its lead pipes from disintegrating. Corroding iron pipes, meanwhile, have been linked to two outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in Flint that added to the public health emergency. “We are not aware of credible evidence that would discourage the use of plastic pipe or other products that are certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 in drinking water systems,” NSF said in a statement to Scientific American. The funds could cover the replacement of about a third of the nation’s estimated six million to 10 million such lines. In addition to activating these investments, the Administration will mobilize existing resources and programs, technical assistance, rulemaking and policy standards, and other tools to accelerate progress towards the President’s goals. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is releasing its Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.