Low Lead Water Products Guide

[Faucet Photo]NSF International is at the forefront of the low-lead plumbing products issue, having actively worked with the State of California and other key States for over fifteen years, through the ongoing development of NSF/ANSI Standard 61 (NSF 61). The standard has played a key role in CA Proposition 65 lead settlements and is now the American National Standard for lead content in plumbing products.

Most recently, NSF developed the evaluation procedures in NSF/ANSI Standard 372 (NSF 372) to establish an American National Standard to determine product compliance with the ≤0.25% percent maximum weighted average lead content requirement. NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G (NSF 61-G) references NSF 372. Certification to NSF 61-G or NSF 372 meets the requirements of the California Health and Safety Code (Section 116875; commonly known as AB1953) as well as for other states developing similar regulations. This also meets the new low lead requirements of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act, which go into effect in January 2014.

[Valve Photo]NSF offers certification to NSF 61-G and NSF 372 to manufacturers of products that contact drinking water, including faucets, flexible plumbing connectors, valves, meters and many other product types.

This webpage has been created to assist all involved parties with recent happenings in regards to legislation of low-lead plumbing products, NSF 61, Annex G, NSF 372 and certification. We encourage you to bookmark this page and check back frequently for the latest information.

This page is updated frequently, however, if you find incorrect or outdated information, please email us at watermarketing@nsf.org.

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Top Questions

  1. What do I need to know about California with respect to low-lead laws?

    The State of California enacted legislation (AB 1953) which revises the term "lead free" as it relates to any pipe, pipe or plumbing fitting, or fixture intended to convey or dispense water for drinking or cooking. For these products, "lead free" means not more than a weighted average lead content of 0.25 percent. 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.

    The legislation went into effect on January 1, 2010, which states that no person will be able to use, install, or bring into commerce these products unless they comply with new "lead free" requirements of the law.
  2. Does NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G satisfy the requirements of California law?

    Yes. NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G was developed specifically to meet the requirements of California's AB 1953. Simply put, being certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G means that you comply with California's Health & Safety Code Section 116875 (commonly known as AB 1953).

    In addition, NSF International is named in both the California law itself (SB 1334) and the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC) fact sheet entitled, "Requirements for Low Lead Plumbing Products in California" (page 3, "Are there any certification requirements?"). For more information, visit NSF's press release on this subject.
  3. What is NSF's role in the development of a standard to meet California requirements?

    No one has more experience working with California legislators and officials on AB 1953 and its requirements than NSF. Sponsors of the bill and other key groups asked NSF for input and to develop procedures and methods to certify products to the California requirements. Considering NSF International's long history of writing standards and certifying products, it is natural that NSF would serve this role. More specifically, in 1996, Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) - the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water - was amended to require endpoint devices which dispense drinking water to comply with the lead leach requirements of the American National Standard, NSF/ANSI Standard 61.

    After California passed AB 1953 in 2006, means for complying with the new law, including testing methods, still needed to be developed. The NSF Standard 61 Joint Committee then charged its Lead Task Group with reviewing and developing criteria that would meet AB 1953 requirements. This Lead Task Group received guidance from key regulators, proponents of the California lead bill, and industry representatives, in addition to the NSF Standard 61 Joint Committee (a group comprised of equal representation from public health, user communities, and industry to ensure an open, transparent consensus process).

    The resulting document - NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G - was voted on by the consensus-based Standard 61 Joint Committee, approved by the NSF Council of Public Health Consultants and published in late 2008. More recently, NSF/ANSI Standard 372 was developed by the NSF Drinking Water Additives Joint Committee. This standard contains the evaluation and testing protocols for lead content and this is referenced in Annex G of NSF 61.
  4. Will certification to NSF 61-Annex G or NSF 372 meet the new requirements of the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act?

    Yes. The lead content requirements for plumbing products in the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act were revised to require compliance with the weighted average content of 0.25% beginning in January 2014. Certification to NSF 372 or NSF 61 Annex G will meet these requirements.
  5. What is the difference between products that are certified to NSF 61-G or NSF 372?

    Certification to NSF-372 demonstrates that a product meets a weighted average lead content of ≤0.25%.

    Certification to NSF-61 Annex G means that a product meets the leachate requirements of NSF 61 for all contaminants (metals and non-metal) as well as the weighted average lead content requirements of NSF 372.

    The vast majority of plumbing codes in the US as well as most State regulations for public drinking water systems require compliance to the NSF 61 leachate requirements. So certification to NSF 61-G demonstrate compliance to both requirements
  6. As a manufacturer of plumbing products, what should I be doing to comply with the new low lead legislation?

    Contact NSF (plumbing@nsf.org) today to begin getting certified to NSF's Annex G, which is the best method for demonstrating compliance with the new legislation.
  7. Can a manufacturer use plating, coatings or acid wash treatments to make a device comply with the California low lead regulations?

    No. While NSF Standard 61 allows the use of platings, coatings, or acid wash treatments, these cannot be used to meet the 0.25% weighted average lead content requirements of Annex G. The weighted average must be based on the lead content of the component, not just the lead content on the surface. This requirement was incorporated into Annex G based on a letter expressing the legislative intent of AB 1953 sent to NSF from the California legislator who authored AB 1953. This is also reflected in a legal opinion from East Bay Municipal Utility District's counsel, the utility that sponsored AB 1953. While the California legislation does not specifically address coatings, platings or acid wash systems, manufacturers that attempt to use these techniques to comply with the California requirements may face legal challenges.
  8. Is laboratory testing required as part of the NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G and NSF 372 certification programs?

    Yes. NSF 372 contains requirements for evaluation of the lead content based on the requirements developed by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control. Basically this allows for a screening method (such as X-ray fluorescence) as well as a digestion of the material to determine lead content.
  9. Is there an NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G certification mark for my product and literature? How will my NSF online listing be updated?

    Products that are NSF Certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G utilize a special certification mark that should be used on products, literature, and in other promotional ways. NSF's online listings are also updated to include the addition of Annex G for those certified products. Listing information for those products certified to Annex G will bear a listing note stating, "Product also Certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G (weighted average lead content of ≤0.25%) and is in compliance with California's Health & Safety Code Section 116875 (commonly known as AB 1953.)"

    For samples and more information, see the Annex G and NSF 372 Product Marking section.
  10. Can a product be certified only to the lead content requirements of Annex G and not the lead leaching and other requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 61?

    No. Annex G requires that products must be compliant with the full requirements of NSF/ANSI 61 plus the weighted average lead content to comply with Annex G. NSF can, however, certify products to NSF 372 demonstrating compliance with only the low lead content requirements.
  11. Do all products that are certified to NSF-61 now comply with Annex G and the 0.25% weighted average lead requirement?

    No. Annex G as well as NSF 372 is an optional additional certification. To further clarify, some products are certified only to NSF-61 requirements, while others are certified to both NSF-61 and to Annex G (NSF 372), the additional lead content certification. Products that are certified only to NSF 61 have not been evaluated for weighted average lead content.

    NSF/ANSI Standard 61 requires analysis for any chemicals that leach from a material into drinking water. It requires a toxicological evaluation of chemical concentrations to ensure that they are below levels that may cause potential adverse human health effects.

    By referencing NSF 372, Annex G contains an optional evaluation criteria for determining the weighted average lead content of drinking water system components. It is based on legislation in California which requires products that convey or dispense drinking water to comply with a 0.25% weighted average lead content.

    Products that are certified to NSF-61 and Annex G have met the 0.25% weighted average lead content as well as all the health effects and leachate requirements of NSF-61.

    NSF has listings of products certified to NSF-61. Products certified to the 0.25% weighted average lead content requirements (Annex G) have a listing footnote to denote the additional certification.
  12. Are other U.S. states considering enacting low-lead legislation for plumbing products?

    Vermont recently enacted a law similar to California's, which is also scheduled to take effect January 1, 2010. Maryland has a similar law going into effect on January 2012and the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act will make this a national requirement in January 2014.
  13. Where can I go for more information on this subject?

    For technical information, contact NSF's Pete Greiner at (+1) 734.769.5517 or greinerp@nsf.org. If you wish to apply for certification or have a question about getting a product certified, please contact:

    Americas: americas@nsf.org

    Europe, Middle East and Africa: europe@nsf.org

    Asia Pacific: asia@nsf.org

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Annex G Overview

[Faucet Photo]NSF/ANSI Standard 61 was revised in December 2008 to establish requirements for use when a 0.25% lead content requirement needs to be met in addition to current chemical extraction requirements of the standard. The requirements were placed in Annex G - Weighted Average Lead Content Evaluation Procedure to a 0.25% Lead Requirement. In addition, mandatory language placing restrictions on the use of lead as an intentional additive in water contact materials was also added to Section 3. To view the full content of the annex as adopted in NSF/ANSI 61 - 2008, download the PDF document.

A request was made to add these requirements to the standard to allow manufacturers the option of being certified to a lead content standard, such as California's Health & Safety Code (Section 116875) commonly known as AB1953. That law, which goes into effect January 1, 2010, applies to any pipe, pipe of plumbing fitting, or fixture intended to convey or dispense water for human consumption through drinking or cooking. A similar law has been enacted in Vermont and is also to take effect January 1, 2010.

The annex was developed through the Lead Task Group of the Drinking Water Additives Joint Committee and includes requirements that enable conservative and consistent application of the lead content evaluation procedure. Highlights include:

  • The annex contains <0.25% weighted average lead content requirements. Compliance is determined by a weighted average calculation involving the maximum percent lead content of material specifications and wetted surface areas.
  • Does not consider coatings or acid washing. Compliance is determined by the maximum percent lead content of material specification for each component prior to application of any coatings or lead wash treatments. Documents including an opinion from East Bay Municipal District and statement of legislative intent were provided to the Lead Task Group during development of the annex.
  • For internally threaded products, the wetted surface area includes 25 percent of the threaded area(s). This is consistent with the assumptions used in the rest of Standard 61.
  • Annex G did not contain a verification test protocol when it was first developed. The California Department of Toxic Substance Control subsequently developed test protocols for the determination of lead content and these were incorporated into NSF 372.
  • Annex G is an optional annex under NSF/ANSI 61. Certifications to Annex G note compliance within the NSF/ANSI 61 or NSF/ANSI 14 listing.
  • The annex requires full compliance with NSF/ANSI 61.
  • The annex does not specifically reference California and applies to any jurisdiction with a ≤0.25% weighted average lead content requirement.

For questions or concerns regarding NSF 61 Annex G or NSF 372, please contact Pete Greiner at (+1) 734.769.5517 or greinerp@nsf.org.

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NSF-Certified Products

To search for of NSF-61 Annex G certified products, visit the NSF listings page on the public website. Remember to look for the Annex G footnote on the listings page which states, "Product also Certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G (weighted average lead content of ≤0.25%) and is in compliance with California's Health & Safety Code Section 116875 (commonly known as AB1953.)."

You may also access the complete lists of NSF-certified products to Annex G:

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Product Markings for Annex G NSF-Certified Products

Products that are NSF-certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G utilize a special certification mark that designates the addition of Annex G certification. This will vary slightly depending on whether the product is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Section 9, or NSF/ANSI Standard 14 (which references NSF 61).

NSF Mark NSF Mark
NSF Mark

The NSF Annex G certification marks can be downloaded via the NSF marks download page.

Should you have any questions about product marking, contact your NSF certification project manager, or Hilary Brazin, NSF Marketing Manager, at (+1) 734-827-5678 or hbrazin@nsf.org.

Product Markings for NSF 372 and 0.25% Weighted Average Lead Content

Products that have been certified only for the weighted average lead content and not NSF 61 compliance may bear the following marks:

[NSF 372 Mark Blue] [NSF 372 Mark Text]

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NSF PR on Low-Lead/Annex G

NSF issues press releases as new developments arise with the low lead situation. Click on the release titles below to access the full release.

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Getting Certified

If you are interested in getting your products certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 61, Annex G or NSF 372 please email annexg@nsf.org today. Don't forget to indicate your country of origin so we can put you in touch with the NSF representatives located closest to you.

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Helpful Links

For more information on this subject, NSF encourages you to visit these websites:

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