Reverse Osmosis (RO)Avoiding Water Regulation Pitfalls: Essential Tips for Dental Practices
Recently, I visited a client for a routine legionella risk assessment review. They mentioned that Anglian Water had conducted an unannounced water regulations inspection. Indeed, such unexpected visits from water suppliers are legal.
The inspection highlighted concerns about backflow protection in their reverse osmosis (RO) unit, specifically the absence of a double check valve on the cold water supply and no air gap on the RO unit's drainage line. These issues were also noted in my previous assessment, indicating a broader problem. Dental practices often rely on engineers and external companies for equipment installation, assuming they are fully qualified and aware of regulations. This incident, however, underscores the importance of conducting thorough due diligence on contractors.
Over the years, our inspections of thousands of dental practices have shown a worrying trend: many have non-compliant RO unit installations, frequently installed by reputed 'Dental Specialists'. When advised to address these issues, the response from these specialists typically involves denying any fault, which is misleading. This situation likely arises from either intentional misinformation or a lack of adequate training among the engineers, highlighting the need for vigilance and informed decision-making in hiring practices.
To tackle this, I created an online training module on Backflow Protection and Fluid Categories, available for free. Regrettably, the industry has shown little interest in enhancing their knowledge. This post is intended to educate our clients and followers, encouraging you to perform basic checks on the qualifications and experience of dental engineers and suppliers. When hiring engineers for water system work, ensure they can provide proof of their training and knowledge of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, including fluid categories and backflow protection.