AWWA achieves Audited Designator status from ANSI

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) this spring joined exclusive company as it achieved the prestigious Audited Designator status as a standards developer at the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

AWWA becomes just the seventh organization to achieve Audited Designator status, joining American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), ASTM International, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), NSF and UL.

“We are incredibly proud to join the elite group of just seven ANSI-accredited Standards Developing Organizations holding this status,” said Paul Olson, AWWA’s senior manager of standards. “This prestigious status is awarded to developers who process a significant number of standards each year while maintaining a record of successful process audits. It empowers us to expedite certain procedural actions on behalf of ANSI, promoting efficient and timely standards development. We’re excited to start operating as an Audited Designator and continue our mission of setting high standards in the industry.”

Being an Audited Designator means ANSI has granted AWWA the authority to designate its standards as American National Standards without such standards being reviewed and approved by the ANSI Board of Standards Review (BSR).

AWWA first published “consensus documents” in 1908. Today, there are more than 190 AWWA Standards, spanning all facets of water treatment and delivery. Each AWWA Standard is developed by a dedicated volunteer committee before it is subjected to a rigorous approval process. AWWA Standards cover the products and processes related to all areas of water treatment and supply, which is why thousands of utilities in North American and other countries have adopted them as part of their normal processes and procedures.

All AWWA Standards are recognized through ANSI’s third-party neutral oversight process and recognized by ANSI, further confirming their credibility as true Industry Standards. AWWA’s voluntary commitment to following ANSI process ensures that AWWA Standards meet the high bar set for industry standards by groups such as ISO, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and in Conformity Assessment Activities.”

This status, granted in March, is given to developers that have demonstrated a “consistent record of successful voluntary standards development” and provides the developer the authority to designate standards as ANSI standards with reduced ANSI review. This reduces the final approval time from ANSI on standards that have had unresolved objections, appeals, and/or committee balance issues. The time reduced for these standards for approval would be four to six weeks and reduce the amount of paperwork that would be required for each approval.