Water Safety in Food Premises: Potable Supply, Tanks, Backflow and Hot Water

Food premises generally must have an adequate supply of potable (drinking-quality) water at a volume, pressure and temperature suited to how it is used. Under the Food Standards Code, water that touches food, ice, food-contact surfaces or hands must be potable, and there must be no cross-connection between potable and non-potable supplies. Confirm the specific requirements for your premises with your state or territory food regulator and local council. Key takeaways: Water used for food, ice, food-contact surfaces and handwashing generally must be potable (drinking quality); where a supply is in doubt, the accepted reference is the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines.. There must be no cross-connection between potable and non-potable supplies, and backflow prevention is usually required to stop contaminated water being drawn back into the drinking supply.. Businesses on rainwater tanks, bores or other non-reticulated sources typically need to test, treat and maintain their water to keep it potable, and keep records.. Hot water is essential for effective cleaning and sanitising; FSANZ guidance gives examples such as around 82 degrees Celsius for a dishwasher sanitising rinse and about 77 degrees Celsius for at least 30 seconds for manual hot-water sanitising.. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and premises type, so confirm details with your state or territory food regulator and local council.. Hot-water temperatures for cleaning and sanitising: Use, Water temperature. Handwashing at basins — Warm running potable water. Commercial dishwasher sanitising rinse — Around 82°C (as specified by the manufacturer). Manual hot-water sanitising in a sink — About 77°C for at least 30 seconds. What counts as "potable" water and where it is required In the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, potable water means water that is acceptable for human consumption. Where there is any doubt about a supply, the accepted reference point is the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (NHMRC/NRMMC). Standard 3.2.3 generally requires food premises to have an adequate supply of potable water, meaning water available at a volume, pressure and temperature suitable for the purposes it is used for. Across most food premises, potable water is required wherever water can end up in or on food, or on things that contact food or hands. The Code does allow non-potable water for some limited purposes (for example refrigeration equipment, fire-fighting or certain cleaning tasks) where the business can demonstrate it will not adversely affect food safety, but only if it is completely separated from the potable supply. In practice, treat drinking-quality water as the default unless a specific use is clearly and safely separated. Water used as an ingredient or added to food (including drinks and stocks).. Ice and any water used to cool or glaze food.. Washing fruit, vegetables and other produce.. Cleaning and sanitising food-contact surfaces, utensils and equipment.. Handwashing at wash basins used by food handlers.. Steam that contacts food or food-contact surfaces.. Reticulated town water vs tanks, bores and other sources If your premises is connected to a reticulated (mains) town water supply, the water is generally treated and monitored to drinking-water quality by the water utility up to your meter, and the main risks arise inside your own plumbing. If you rely on rainwater tanks, bores, dams, rivers or carted water, you are responsible for making sure that water is potable at the point of use. Non-reticulated and untreated supplies commonly need testing and treatment (for example filtration and disinfection) before the water can be considered safe for food use. This is a business-specific risk that your food safety program, and often your council or regulator, will expect you to have assessed and documented. Mains water: focus on internal plumbing, backflow and cleanliness of outlets and fittings.. Rainwater tanks: keep gutters, first-flush devices, mesh screens and lids maintained; exclude birds, vermin and debris.. Bores and surface water: assess contamination risks and treat to potable standard before food use.. Carted water: use a reputable supplier of potable water and keep delivery records.. Water tanks: siting, maintenance and testing Where tanks supply a food business, they should be constructed of food-safe, corrosion-resistant materials, fitted with secure lids and vermin-proof screens, and sited away from obvious contamination sources such as chemical storage, effluent lines and heavy vehicle areas. Inlets, overflows and vents all need screening so pests and debris cannot get in. A sensible routine includes periodic inspection, cleaning and desludging of tanks, plus water testing appropriate to the source and risk. Microbiological testing (for example for E. coli as an indicator of faecal contamination) is a common check. Because sampling frequency and parameters depend on your source and jurisdiction, agree a testing regime with your local council or a suitably qualified water professional and keep the results. Use food-grade, opaque tanks with tight-fitting, lockable lids.. Screen all openings (inlet, overflow, vents) to exclude pests and light.. Inspect, clean and desludge on a documented schedule.. Test water to a program matched to your source; retain laboratory reports.. Treat as required (for example filtration plus UV or chlorination) and monitor the treatment.. Backflow prevention and cross-connection control Backflow is the unwanted reverse flow of water back into the drinking-water supply, which can pull contaminants into clean water when pressure drops. In food premises, high-risk points include hose connections, dishwashers and glasswashers, combi ovens and steamers, cleaning-chemical dosing systems, and any connection to non-potable water. The Food Standards Code requires that there be no cross-connections between potable and non-potable supplies. Beyond that, backflow prevention is governed largely by plumbing law and the relevant Australian Standards (such as AS/NZS 3500), and is enforced by state or territory plumbing regulators and water authorities. Devices generally must be installed by a licensed plumber and, for testable devices, tested regularly (commonly annually) by an accredited person. Confirm the exact device type and testing frequency with your local water authority or plumbing regulator. Fit air gaps or appropriate backflow prevention devices at identified risk points.. Never make a physical connection between potable and non-potable pipework.. Use hose vacuum breakers on tap-and-hose setups.. Have testable devices installed and tested by a licensed, accredited plumber, and keep the certificates.. Hot water for cleaning, sanitising and handwashing Effective cleaning and sanitising depends on having enough hot water at the right temperature, delivered where it is needed. Warm-water handwash basins encourage proper handwashing, while cleaning stations and warewashing need hotter water to remove grease and soil and to support sanitising. FSANZ guidance in Safe Food Australia (Appendix 6) gives worked examples for hot-water sanitising. For manual sanitising in a sink, one example is immersing items in water at around 77 degrees Celsius for at least 30 seconds; commercial dishwashers commonly use a sanitising rinse around 82 degrees Celsius as specified by the manufacturer. These are examples rather than a single legal figure, so always follow your equipment instructions and food safety program, and protect staff from scald risk at these temperatures. Size your hot-water system so peak demand does not leave basins or sinks running cold. Provide hand basins with a supply of warm running potable water for food handlers.. Ensure warewashers reach the manufacturer's specified wash and sanitising-rinse temperatures.. For manual hot-water sanitising, keep water hot enough and immerse items long enough to sanitise (FSANZ example: about 77 degrees Celsius for at least 30 seconds).. Check hot-water capacity against your busiest service period.. Ice, drinks and other high-contact water uses Ice is food. Under the Code it must be made only from potable water, handled with clean scoops (not glasses or hands), stored in clean, covered bins, and transported and displayed so it cannot be contaminated. Ice machines need regular cleaning and sanitising because they are warm, wet and often overlooked, which makes them a common source of mould and bacterial growth. The same logic applies to post-mix drink systems, coffee machines, water dispensers and any equipment plumbed into the supply: the incoming water must be potable, fittings must be kept clean, and filters or cartridges must be changed on the manufacturer's schedule. Keep these uses in your cleaning schedule rather than treating them as set-and-forget. Records and your food safety program Water safety is easier to prove than to remember. Whether or not your business is required to keep a formal food safety program, documenting your water controls demonstrates due diligence to an environmental health officer or auditor. Businesses handling higher-risk foods may fall under Standard 3.2.2A or 3.2.1 record-keeping expectations, and non-mains water in particular is something regulators will expect you to have assessed and monitored. Build the key tasks into your existing cleaning schedule and monitoring records: tank cleaning, water test results, treatment checks, ice-machine and filter maintenance, and backflow device test certificates. Retain laboratory reports and plumbing certificates. If you are unsure what your jurisdiction requires, ask your local council or state food regulator before an inspection rather than during one. Record water test results, treatment monitoring and tank cleaning dates.. Keep backflow device test certificates and plumbing compliance paperwork.. Log ice-machine sanitising and water-filter changes in the cleaning schedule.. Confirm your record-keeping obligations with your regulator, as they vary by food type and jurisdiction.. Worked examples: A café supplied by a rainwater tank: Because the café isn't on mains water, it's responsible for making the tank water potable at the point of use. Gutters, first-flush devices, screens and lids are maintained to exclude birds, vermin and debris, and the water is tested (commonly for E. coli) and treated, for example with filtration plus UV or chlorination. Laboratory reports and treatment checks are kept as records. Preventing backflow at a hose connection: A hose is connected to a tap for cleaning, which is a classic backflow risk if pressure drops. A vacuum breaker is fitted so contaminated water can't be drawn back into the drinking supply, and there's no physical connection between potable and non-potable pipework. Testable backflow devices are installed and tested by a licensed, accredited plumber, with the certificates kept on file. Checklist: Potable water is available at adequate volume, pressure and temperature for all uses.. All water contacting food, ice, food-contact surfaces or hands is drinking quality.. No cross-connections exist between potable and non-potable supplies.. Backflow prevention is installed at high-risk points and testable devices are tested and certified.. Tanks are food-grade, screened, lidded, cleaned and desludged on a schedule.. Non-mains water is tested and treated, with laboratory reports retained.. Ice is made from potable water, handled with clean scoops and stored covered.. Ice machines, coffee machines and drink systems are cleaned and their filters changed on schedule.. Hand basins have warm running potable water; warewashers reach specified temperatures.. Water-related tasks and results are recorded in the food safety program or cleaning schedule.. Common mistakes: Assuming rainwater or bore water is potable without testing or treatment.. Connecting a hose to a tap with no vacuum breaker, creating a backflow risk.. Cross-connecting non-potable (for example toilet-flush or irrigation) water with the drinking supply.. Making or storing ice carelessly, or scooping ice with a glass or bare hands.. Neglecting ice-machine and water-filter cleaning, allowing mould and bacterial build-up.. Under-sizing the hot-water system so basins or warewashers run cold at peak times.. Letting backflow prevention devices lapse without the required periodic testing.. Keeping no records of water tests, tank cleaning or device testing to show an auditor..