NSF ANSI CAN 61-2024 PDF

Full title and description

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 — Drinking Water System Components — Health Effects. This American National Standard specifies minimum health‑effects requirements and test procedures to evaluate chemical contaminants and impurities that products, components and materials can impart indirectly to drinking water during normal use. It applies to a broad range of items including process media (carbon, sand), barrier and protective materials (coatings, linings), joining and sealing materials (gaskets, solvent cements), pipes and related products (pipes, tanks, fittings), mechanical treatment and distribution devices (valves, chemical feeders, membranes, POE systems) and mechanical plumbing devices (faucets, endpoint control valves).

Abstract

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 establishes health‑based test batteries, extraction and exposure protocols, and acceptance criteria used to assess whether materials and products intended for contact with drinking water or drinking water treatment chemicals will contribute chemical contaminants at levels of public‑health concern. The 2024 edition incorporates updates for PFAS testing in fluoropolymer materials, clarifications to process media tolerances, new informative disclosure guidance, and other editorial and technical refinements.

General information

• Status: Superseded — the 2024 edition has been revised (see NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025).
• Publication date: December 1, 2024.
• Publisher: NSF International (published as an American National Standard / bi‑national designation NSF/ANSI/CAN).
• ICS / categories: 13.060.20 — Drinking water (Water quality).
• Edition / version: 2024 edition (NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024).
• Number of pages: 383 pages (PDF/printed edition).

Scope

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 covers evaluation methods and health‑effects criteria for materials and products that come into contact — directly or indirectly — with drinking water or drinking water treatment chemicals. The scope includes process media, protective and barrier materials, joining and sealing materials, piping and related products, mechanical devices used in treatment, transmission and distribution, point‑of‑entry (POE) treatment systems and consumer‑facing plumbing devices. The standard focuses on chemical contamination and does not set requirements for microbial growth, taste/odor or general product performance.

Key topics and requirements

• Health‑effects test batteries and compound‑specific screening for contaminants of concern (leachate/extraction testing and specified analyte lists).
• Extraction and exposure protocols (single and multiple time‑point exposures, normalization, water‑selection criteria and temperature options).
• Material‑specific analyses and acceptance criteria, including TTC‑derived criteria where applicable.
• Updated PFAS testing requirements for fluoropolymer materials (expanded compound list and implementation timeline).
• New informative annex guidance for recommended product information disclosure and clarifications to sampling and sample preparation.
• Interaction with companion health‑effects criteria standard (NSF/ANSI/CAN 600) and a separate lead‑content standard (NSF/ANSI 372 series).

Typical use and users

Manufacturers of plumbing products and treatment equipment use NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 to design, test and certify products for safe contact with drinking water; testing laboratories and third‑party certifiers apply its test methods and acceptance criteria; water utilities, plumbing specifiers, regulators and code authorities reference the standard when specifying or requiring certified components for public water systems and plumbing installations. Compliance is commonly required by U.S. state and Canadian provincial regulations and by plumbing codes.

Related standards

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 is closely associated with: - NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 (Health effects evaluation and criteria for chemicals in drinking water) as a companion document; - NSF/ANSI 372 (lead content requirements) which addresses weighted average lead limits; - NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 (direct drinking water additives) for chemical additives; - subsequent revisions such as NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025 which supersede the 2024 edition.

Keywords

drinking water, health effects, leaching, extraction testing, PFAS, process media, point‑of‑entry (POE), mechanical devices, pipes and fittings, certification, NSF 61, ANSI, CAN

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 is an American National (bi‑national) standard that defines health‑based requirements and test methods for chemical contaminants that materials and components can impart to drinking water. It is intended to protect public health by limiting indirect chemical contamination from products used in drinking water systems.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers test procedures, exposure protocols and acceptance criteria for a wide range of products and materials that contact drinking water or drinking water treatment chemicals, focusing on chemical contaminants and impurities rather than microbiological or taste/odor performance.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Product manufacturers, independent testing laboratories, certification bodies, water utilities, plumbing specifiers, code officials and regulators use the standard for product evaluation, certification and procurement of drinking water system components.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 2024 edition was published December 1, 2024, but it has been revised and superseded by a later edition (NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025). For regulatory or procurement decisions check whether your jurisdiction or buyer requires the 2025 edition or still accepts the 2024 certification.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 is part of a family of drinking‑water related standards and companion documents, notably NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 (health‑effects criteria for chemicals in drinking water), NSF/ANSI 60 (direct additives), and NSF/ANSI 372 (lead content). These documents are often referenced together for comprehensive regulatory and certification programs.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Drinking water, health effects, leaching, PFAS, process media, point‑of‑entry (POE), pipes and fittings, extraction testing, certification, NSF 61.