Water treatment regulations are different from state to state, and each state is free to choose its own requirements depending on a wide variety of factors such as building type, machinery type and more. In New Jersey, many people assume that the state has taken on identical water treatment regulations as its large neighbor, New York City.
However, if you operate a facility in New Jersey, it is important that you understand the specific requirements set by your state so that you can remain in compliance. If you are ever unsure about how to do so, or if you need help abiding by these rules, a professional water treatment service can help to alleviate this burden by handling your water needs for you.
Licensing For Water Treatment
New Jersey water treatment regulations mandate that throughout the water treatment process, you work with licensed professionals. Legionella draft regulations are waiting for approval by state legislators to include new construction, potable water, cooling towers, pools, spas and other commercial water systems.
It is important that you rely only on those who have experience with chemical water treatment, Legionella prevention and remediation and water sampling. The facility itself must also be licensed to operate the machinery that it uses; typically, this is achieved by registering the machinery, such as a cooling tower, with the state so that any Legionella outbreaks can be traced.
Regular Maintenance Plan
Another critical element of New Jersey’s water treatment requirements is a mandatory regular maintenance plan. You must document everything that you are doing to treat your water, how frequently and in what amounts so that your facility can be comprehensively reviewed from time to time, and so that your employees and managers have access to a documented overview of their responsibilities regarding the water system. Alongside this maintenance plan, it is helpful to also keep a document of any issues that you discover during maintenance, such as pump failures, broken parts or other mishaps.
An Emergency Contact Sheet
New Jersey requires that you maintain a list of emergency contacts, including their name, phone number and order of priority for contact. This is often made up of a combination of both facility personnel (who can speak to operations within the building) and outside professionals who can assist with remediation or problematic occurrences, such as a Legionella prevention company.
Routine Inspections And Preventative Maintenance
You are required to abide by a documented schedule of regular inspections and maintenance. Within this schedule should also be routine meter readings and documentation of how often and in what amounts you use chemicals in your water.
Inspections are meant not only to establish the current state of the system and whether anything is broken (as documented in your maintenance file above) but also to monitor the effectiveness of your water treatment, resolve any problems while they are still minor and collect samples.
Also within the scope of preventive maintenance and inspections is the requirement that employees are thoroughly trained and informed about their specific roles and responsibilities in regards to the water system and its regular maintenance.
This protocol for education must also be documented, and you must be able to present it to an inspector when requested. Your options for storing the results of inspections, as well as your other documentation requirements, come in two forms: you may make the records directly in ink and keep them in a log book specifically dedicated to this task, or you may choose to utilize a computer database that is locked off by secure access.
Within these files, include such information as the time, date and results of all system inspections, reports of any remediation required or performed, documentation of any broken or ill-performing pieces of machinery or legs of the water system and any situations that may potentially cause harm by threatening the health and safety of the public or the welfare of the environment.
Work With The Professional Water Treatment Experts
New Jersey’s water treatment protocols can feel overwhelming when you are trying to create a water management plan that abides by all rules and regulations. This is why many companies opt to leave this process in the hands of an expert water treatment professional.
At Tower Water, we understand that no two water treatment plans are created equal, and your specific building and risk factors will determine the type of approach that you should take. We offer customized, personalized plans that tackle your specific water system’s needs so that you can spend less time focused on commercial water compliance and more time on the projects and responsibilities that you are best at.
Reach out to schedule an appointment to discuss your regulatory requirements and receive help in crafting a plan to abide by them and avoid potential fines and penalties.