Tamper Resistant Water Filters

• Increase - Public Safety• Reduce - Liability

Specialty Media, LLCPrepared By: Bob LisenkoFor Specialty Media, LLC

Summary Tamper-resistant water filters, intended for public

locations, will reduce the risk for potential contamination of drinking water and improve public safety.

The NSF Joint Committee should consider inserting protocols into Standard 42 & 53, and other applicable DWTU standards, providing water filter manufactures the option to market tamper-resistant water filters under an industry standard.

NSF Standard 60; Section 3.9 can be used as template to incorporate security standards for water filters. The Standard was modified after a drum of NSF certified

sodium hypochlorite was contaminated and placed online.

Benefits of Tamper Resistant Water

Filters1. Authorized Access: The benefit of a tamper-resistant water filter is that only authorized personnel would be able to gain access and disengage the filter once it has been placed in service.

2. Public Safety Benefits: a. Reduces the probability of a water filter being

tampered/ poisoned. b. Increases the integrity of certified water filters by

eliminating the probability of retrofit replacement filter elements being used which are of unknown quality.

3. Business Benefit: a. Retrofits/Knockoffs: OEM filter manufacture’s can

protect their replacement filter business from retrofits.

Drinking Water Tampering Harvard Medical School – 2009

Six researches poisoned and hospitalized. Harvard improves security measures for water filters.

Kaiga Atomic Plant, Karnataka – 2009 Four employees poisoned. Criminal investigation followed.

Western New England College – 2000Student poisoned-survived. FBI investigation followed.

Food and Drug Administration Office – 1989One poisoned. Arrest made.

Transamerica Title Insurance Co. – 1986 3 poisoned, one fatality. Arrest made.

Water Cooler IndustryResponse to Tampering

Oasis International: F14PM-14G Versacooler® II Barrier-Free, Vandal Resistant Water Cooler PV8AC

Halsey Taylor: HVR8HD, 14 Gauge Vandal-Resistant Water Cooler. Single and Bi-Level models.

Elkay:LVRC8WSK, Vandal Resistant Cooler Wall Mount Bi-Level. Optional WaterSentry® Plus Filtration System

One Potential SolutionFilter Locks: For Most Head and Sump Filter Configurations

Specialty Media, LLC: Patent # 7,658,840

One Potential SolutionFilter Locks: For Most Head and Sump Filter Configurations

Specialty Media, LLC: Patent # 7,658,840

One Potential SolutionFilter Locks: For Most Head and Sump Filter Configurations

Specialty Media, LLC: Patent # 7,658,840

Suggested Amendments to NSF Industry Standard

protocols.

5.5 Product Security - Products certified under this standard shall be protected to maintain the quality required by this standard. Reasonable, effective measures shall be made to control access (i.e., disengage) to water filters once they are installed in public and commercial applications which will provide the manufacture and purchasing user of product with the ability to reduce/eliminate tampering.

5.5.1 Definition of tamper-resistant water filters – Water filters having one or more barriers or indicators to entry, which allow only authorized personnel to disengage a water filter once it has been installed and placed into service.

5.5.2 Security requirements for Water Filters – Water filters shall be delivered in tamper-resistant configurations as defined in Section 5.5.1. Locking mechanisms, alarms and remote monitoring systems constitute three forms of acceptable tamper-resistant water filters.

5.5.3 Locking water filters – Water filters may be secured with a locking mechanism, which incorporates a key, combination, code or scan that will allow only authorized personnel to disengage a water filter once it has been placed into service.

5.5.4 Alarmed water filters – Water filters may be secured with an audible alarm that will signal that the water filter has been disengaged once it has been placed into service.

5.5.5 Monitored water filters – Water filters may be secured with a remote monitoring system that will signal that the water filter has been disengaged once it has been place into service.

Tamper-Resistant Water Filter LanguageAdd to NSF Standard 53, Section 5: Tamper-Resistant

requirements

Thank You! Questions?