[미국] 지속가능한 식수 관리 시스템에 대한 미 표준 규격 발표

2014년 9월 4일 미 일리노이주 시카고에서 소비자들이 환경 친화적인 식수 필터를 식별할 수 있도록 돕기 위한 노력의 일환으로, 미 표준규격기관(ANSI)가 WQA/ASPE/ANSI S-803을 허가했다고 밝혔ㄲ다. 이는 수질 협회(WQA), 미국 배관기술자 조합(ASPE)의 지속가능한 식수 관리 시스템이다.

WQA는 일년 이상 식수 관리 산업에서 민간 표준으로 사용되어 온 원래 버전의 표준을 가지기 위해, ANSI로부터 승인받은 자발적 공공 표준을 위한 공적 검토 절차를 거쳐 ASPE와 협업했다.  S-803은 식수 관리 상품에 대해 승인받은 최초의 지속가능 표준규격이다.

 In an effort to help consumers identify environmentally friendly drinking water filters, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has recognized WQA/ASPE/ANSI S-803: Sustainable Drinking Water Treatment Systems by the Water Quality Association (WQA) and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) as an American National Standard.

WQA collaborated with ASPE to take the original version of this standard (which has been in use as a private standard within the drinking water treatment industry for more than a year) through the formal public review process necessary for a voluntary public standard to be accredited by ANSI. S-803 is now the first sustainability standard for drinking water treatment products to receive such an accreditation.

Products certified as meeting the requirements of S-803 are eligible to bear the WQA Sustainability Mark in recognition of passing the rigorous assessment of sustainable production practices that must be adopted by the manufacturer of these devices. The standard also evaluates the products in all other phases of the product's lifecycle, from responsible raw material sourcing, through product packaging and consumer use, and to end-of-life disposition. It even addresses the basic elements of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The S-803 standard operates on a points-based system, giving manufacturers the freedom to choose from a menu of sustainability-oriented criteria. This allows them to implement those environmental initiatives that have the greatest impact relative to their products and business model but in the most cost-efficient way possible.

To achieve ANSI accreditation, the original WQA standard underwent two rounds of meticulous public review, including manufacturers, professional/trade associations, certifiers, consultants, government regulators, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in addition to feedback generated from the companies already certified to the original standard.

The scope of S-803 includes drinking water filter products that utilize activated carbon, as well as similar types of filters made from polypropylene, polyethylene or string fibers. Meanwhile, the companion standard to S-803 -- WQA/ASPE S-802: Sustainable Activated Carbon for Drinking Water Treatment -- is also now in the final stages of the accreditation process and should become an American National Standard by the end of the year. The S-802 standard is a business-to-business standard that focuses on the sustainability of the raw activated carbon used in most of the filter systems that can be certified to S-803.

Finally, efforts are already on the horizon to expand the scope of S-803 to incorporate additional product categories. Add-on modules for ultraviolet (UV) treatment systems as well as dispensers/coolers are in the final phase of drafting and nearly ready for public review, with reverse osmosis (RO) and softeners/ion exchange media on the list for development in 2015.

 

[출처 = Water World / 2014년 9월 4일]