§ 141.11 Chemical Treatment of Building Drinking Water.
RCNY § 141.11
(a)Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to any person proposing to, or engaging in the business of chemical treatment of the drinking water supply system within a building. No owner, agent or other person in control of a building shall add any chemical or other substance to the drinking water supply unless such addition is performed by the holder of a permit issued by the Department. The provisions of this section do not apply to the treatment by addition of chemicals to water not intended for human consumption, however whenever such water is treated, all necessary precautions shall be taken to prevent the treated non-potable water from coming into contact with or contaminating a potable drinking water supply system, including through an accidental inter-connection or cross-connection.
(b)Certification. A permit to treat water chemically in a building shall be issued only for anti-corrosion, anti-scaling or disinfection purposes. Such permit shall be issued to: (1) A person who has a degree with a major in chemistry, chemical engineering, or sanitary engineering from a college or university approved by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and who has at least 5 (five) years experience in the chemistry of water or in closely related work or a water treatment plant operator with a certification issued by the State under Subpart 5-4 of the State Sanitary Code or an equivalent license or certification acceptable to the Department for the appropriate treatment types; or, (2) A corporation or partnership in which one of the officers or partners has the qualifications required by subdivision (b)(1) of this section and is engaged in the full time supervision of all operations involving the addition of chemicals to drinking water for potable purposes.
(c)Operators Requirement. The actual addition of chemicals shall be performed only by the permittee or by a representative who is under the direct supervision of the permittee. All personnel involved in the addition of chemicals to the drinking water supply shall have successfully completed the appropriate course approved by the State under Subpart 5-4 of the State Sanitary Code, based on the system treatment complexity, flow and/or service population.
(d)Product Standards. The only chemicals, drinking water additives, treatment devices or equipment that may come in direct contact with drinking water for potable purposes must be in compliance with Subpart 5-1 of the State Sanitary Code, applicable industry standards and recommendations including, but not limited to, AWWA and NSF/ANSI 60 Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals-Health Effects and NSF/ANSI 61 Drinking Water System Components-Health Effects (e) Cross Connection Control. To prevent the treated water from entering the municipal water supply system, cross connection control prevention shall be provided by installing a State-approved RPZ (Reduced Pressure Zone) Backflow Prevention Device on the potable water service connection to the building.
(f)Design, Installation and Maintenance. The system used to chemically treat the water shall be designed, installed and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and applicable industry standards to ensure proper chemical dosage and operation. The system shall be tamper proof. Maximum feed pump capacity shall be adjusted to prevent any overfeed of chemicals above recommended levels. The installation of the device shall be such as to prevent the back-siphoning of chemicals. Sampling taps shall be provided both upstream and down stream of the chemical addition point in order to ensure representative samples.
(g)Sampling. Prior to placing the system in operation, the permittee shall confirm that the drinking water supply, after being chemically treated, complies with Subpart 5-1 of the State Sanitary Code. Once the system is operational, the permittee shall take monthly samples of the treated water, to ensure compliance with applicable sections of Subpart 5-1 of the State Sanitary Code. A permittee shall maintain or retain the services of a State certified laboratory equipped to analyze drinking water, in accordance with the latest edition of the Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, published jointly by the APHA, the AWWA and the WEF. Records of water sampling and analysis shall be maintained on file by the permittee for at least 5 (five) years and made available to the Department upon request within 5 (five) business days.
(h)Water Quality. A permittee who is operating and/or maintaining a system under this section shall ensure that the system used to chemically treat the water meets the requirements of the State Sanitary Code, Subpart 5-1 relating to Public Water Systems and applicable industry standards and recommendations including, but not limited to, AWWA, NSF/ANSI, or other national standards developed by ANSI-accredited organizations. All products related to work performed shall be certified by ANSI-accredited organizations. The health effects and the maximum dosage shall be monitored and maintained within limits set by the approved product.
(i)Maintenance Record Keeping. All personnel who work or maintain the chemical addition device, shall keep records showing the dates and times of service and the amount of each chemical applied to the drinking water supply being treated. Such records shall be maintained on file for at least 5 (five) years and made available to the Department upon request within 5 (five) business days.
(j)Chemical Storage. All chemicals shall be kept only in the original sealable container provided by the supplier and in a secured area without public access acceptable to the Department. Such containers shall be clearly marked to indicate that their contents are to be used only for the treatment of the drinking water supply.
(k)Termination of Treatment. When a device is no longer in service, the owner, agent or other person in charge of the building in which it is installed shall cause the device to be completely disconnected from the water supply system and all openings shall be properly sealed.
(l)Reporting.
(1)System Commencement and/or Termination. The permittee must maintain a record of every system installed and make those records available to the Department upon request within 5 (five) business days in a manner specified by the Department. Within 24 hours after the commencement of treatment or termination of a system, the permittee must report to the Department such commencement or termination in a manner specified by the Department. All reports to the Department must include the building location, building owner contact information, system location details, the date of installation, commencement, or termination, the chemicals or other substances used, the water treatment purpose, and any additional system and device details that the Department shall require. The requirements of this paragraph apply to any system installed by a third party and operated by the permittee.
(2)Water Quality. When the water quality exceeds the standards as defined under subdivision (h) of this section, the permittee shall provide a report to the Department within 24 hours analyzing the cause of the water quality exceedance and any corrective actions that were taken. (Amended City Record 6/13/2025, eff. 7/13/2025)
