SQF 11.5.2 Water Treatment
We recently started using a water softener in our facility since our hard water was damaging our equipment. It's a salt system. All of our water is potable water.Does this count as water treament?
Can any one advise on what needs to be monitored to remain compliant with 11.5.2.3 "Treated water shall be regularly monitored to ensure it meets the specified indicators. Water treatment chemicals usage shall be monitored to ensure chemical residues are within acceptable limits. Records of testing results shall be kept."
Thank you!
~Polly
We have a water test done every 6 months.
Just write up an sop/procedure, log your tests and dates/amounts of compound additions.
Include it on your internal audit and PM schedule and you are all set.
What do you test for?
I tested my water before we had the softener for e-coli and coliform. I don't knkow what to test treated water for.
Plate count and coliform. Even if the water is treated you don't know what might be getting into your pipes. I'd save listeria for the drains.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding the code, but it seems to be asking that we monitor the chemicals used to treat to ensure they are not contaminating the water. Plate count and coliform would happen from the water source, not the chemicals treating the water.
I too thought that part of the code was referring to if you are chemically treating your own water at your facility and not getting it from a source, like the city and such. I had worked at plant that had its own water treatment facility, so I would think that is what the code would be referring too. I wouldn't think you would need to do anything extra or special for a water softener other than testing your water annually as you would. Unless I am mistaken.
11.5.2.3 Treated water shall be regularly monitored to ensure it meets the specified indicators. Water treatment chemicals usage shall be monitored to ensure chemical residues are within acceptable limits. Records of testing results shall be kept.
Unfortunately SQF guidance docs aren't specifying what they mean by this section of code, but the glossary has this:
Water Treatment: The microbiological, chemical, and/or physical treatment of water for use in processing or cleaning, to ensure its potability and suitability for use.
I've never had to work in a plant that treats the water, but if I were to take a stab at this from an auditor's perspective, you'd need to ensure your water softener isn't adding an unacceptable amount of salt into your treated water. And in circumstances where your cleaning validations might mention softened water at x level, they could call into question the efficacy of your wash/rinse if the water softener starts adding or removing salt at dramatically different levels.
And per 11.5.2.3, I think you need to be tracking the amount of salt your water treatment devices are using at some specified interval.