Is standing water around the building a problem?
Hello,
We have some standing water (condensate) which comes through the gutters onto the driveway around the building, in some areas because the road is not sloped in the direction of the drain the water remains on the road (it does dry but we do not know how long it takes the water to dry) . Since we are located in Houston as the weather is warm / hot I don't think the water remains there for long periods of time, by afternoon, we can see the dried water marks on the road.
I would like to know from you all if this is an issue? In the BRC Interpretation for section 4.1.2 it says - external drainage is expected to be able to deal with normal quantities of rainfall without long-term pooling of water. So, in my mind I think it does not pose any risk to the product or process.
Also, there is a sidewalk running across the building and the gutters are positioned outside the sidewalk, that way there is no standing water immediately close to the building.
All your thoughts will be appreciated.
Thank you,
RTP
Well, here's the thing - your auditor is not going to stand around waiting for the water to dry up and a verbal " I don't think the water remains there for long periods of time, by afternoon, we can see the dried water marks on the road" will not fly too well. You need to have proper drainage, however at the same time Auditors can also tell the difference between long-standing water and that which dries up quickly -- as long as they see it as not creating an issue (unlike how standing water breeding mosquitoes would be an issue) it won't even be noticed or noted. So I think you are safe, hopefully.
SQF Consultant,
Thank you for your input. I appreciate it.
RTP
As for whether it's a genuine risk, the answer would be "it can be". Water sources around a factory create ideal conditions for pests, especially rodents and birds (and eventually insects if it goes on long enough). It's not widely recognised even in the food industry that for many pests a source of water is more important than a source of food. If the water dries off within the day then it's probably not a massive issue but long term I would plan to do something about it to make sure it does drain. If you had water there which remained for a week, as an auditor I would certainly raise it and it's normally pretty obvious how long water has been standing.
For me it would depend on the cost but I'd get costs in and options to resolve it and see if you can get buy in from senior management. I wouldn't be massively worried if it wasn't resolved by the time of audit though, if you have a plan in place, they may not raise it in any case.
Hi GMO,
The water does dries up by noon and also, it does not occur on a daily basis either. It only happens when there is a lot of dew.
Thank you for your input
RTP
Hi GMO,
The water does dries up by noon and also, it does not occur on a daily basis either. It only happens when there is a lot of dew.
Thank you for your input
RTP
Then to be honest, I'd really not worry about it.