February 20, 2008

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Water Quality Committee Meets Next Month to Review ANSI Canvass Comments

The Recreational Water Quality (RWQ) Committee will address questions submitted from the national ANSI canvass of the APSP draft standard for water quality at its meeting March 11-12 in Atlanta. The comments were submitted in December during the first ANSI ballot.

The next step leading to approval of this standard as an ANSI American National Standard will be a second round of voting to be conducted this summer. The second ballot will address new substantive changes made to the draft as a result of the review of the December ballots and comments. If there are unresolved negative votes those comments will be circulated on the second ballot to the ANSI voting body. Historically APSP standards have achieved consensus after the second round of voting and are then submitted to ANSI for approval. Evidence of consensus must be in accordance with ANSI’s requirements and with APSP’s ANSI-accredited procedures. ANSI defines consensus as “…substantial agreement has been reached by directly and materially affected interests. This signifies the concurrence of more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity. Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered and that an effort be made toward their resolution.” APSP’s procedures require consensus to be demonstrated by a majority vote of approval from the entire ANSI voting body and approval by a minimum of two-thirds of those casting a ballot.

This standard is the first comprehensive, data-driven, and knowledge-based national standard available for pool and spa water quality and chemistry. This standard was developed in response to the need expressed by public health officials (PHO) for a national standard for water quality in public pools and spas in a 2004 survey of public health officials across the country.

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