Brochure

Tel: 1-800-WINTERS / www.winters.com WINTERS INSTRUMENTS102
Terms/Definitions and Standards
Winters is pleased to offer a line of environmentally responsible lead free products for all potable water
applications. Winters 'LF' Series of lead free products comply with the 2014 US Drinking Water Act and NSF
61 / 372.
U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) - This Bill was signed into Law in 2011 limiting the lead content to
0.25% maximum for products in contact with drinking water. The items in question include pipes, pipe fittings,
plumbing fittings and fixtures. The Law takes into effect on January 4th 2014, after which, it will be illegal for
service providers to install and manufacturers to sell products that do not meet the new 'lead free' content
law.
Exceptions to SDWA - The new law does not apply to pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings or fixtures that
are used exclusively for non-potable services such as manufacturing, industrial processing, irrigation, outdoor
watering, toilets, shower valves or any other uses whereby water is not anticipated to be used for human
consumption.
California, Vermont, Maryland, Louisiana state laws - Over the years, individual states have also passed
their own similar laws limited lead products in drinking water installations. California was the first state
introducing their law followed by Vermont. However, California law AB 1953, deviates somewhat from the
federal Law by broadening its coverage to include any pipe or fixture which is intended for human
consumption, which could even consider hot water tanks and fire hydrants.
NSF 61 - National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) first published standard NSF 61 in 1988 to establish
minimum requirements for plumbing products that come into contact with drinking water in order to prevent
adverse health effects in humans from the unintentional ingestion of metallic and non-metallic contaminants,
including lead. Furthermore, NSF 61 also assessed the content of lead and other regulated substances by
measuring the amount of contaminants that leached from tested products into water. In January 2009, NSF
61 Annex G was introduced to better define the method for calculating the weighted average lead content of
a product, which was consistent with the requirements of California's AB 1953.
NSF 372 - Released in late 2010, NSF 372 only addresses the weighted content of lead and that applies to
any drinking water system component as outlined by California's AB 1953 ie weighted lead content of not
more than 0.25% and includes all plumbing products intended for human consumption.
Weighted Average Calculation - The weighted average is determined by multiplying the lead content of
each wetted component times the proportion of the total wetted surface area represented by that component
and summing up the results.
Enforcement of SDWA - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with implementing the U.S.
SDWA, however, the primary responsibility for enforcement is left to each state. Most states would then
delegate responsibility to local cities, towns and municipal utilities who would leverage health and plumbing
codes to drive enforcement.