NSF Int'l Certifies Vapor Control Balls

July 14, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The shade balls, produced by Orange Products Inc., met the requirements of NSF/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 61 - Drinking Water System Components - Health Effects, which includes requirements for all products that come in contact with drinking water.

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The vapor control or shade balls are four-inch diameter high-density polyethylene balls that are intended for vapor control in potable water tanks and reservoirs with an average depth of nine feet or more.

"Vapor control or shade balls are used for blocking sunlight and reducing heat loss, evaporation and waterfowl fatalities in open-air bodies of water and chemicals," said Kenneth Zaborowski of Orange Products.

"The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is using these products to block sunlight in an effort to reduce the formation of bromate in two of their open-air drinking water reservoirs."

Certification of drinking water products to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 is required throughout the U.S. and Canada to measure if any chemical contaminants will leach into water at levels that may cause adverse effects to human health.

The NSF certification process begins with an inspection of the production facility, during which product samples are collected and sent to NSF laboratories to be tested.

Under NSF/ANSI 61, the vapor control balls are exposed to three different test waters with varying pH levels for 17 days. Samples of the test waters are then analyzed for a wide variety of contaminants, including metals and organic compounds, to ensure no contaminants were introduced at levels that would be considered a health concern.

Source: NSF International.