NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 is the health-effects standard for drinking water treatment chemicals: every certified product carries a maximum use level (MUL) on its label and listing, such as 84 mg/L (ppm) as product for the most common 12.5 % sodium hypochlorite listings (NSF listings, 2026-10-21). Which chemicals does it cover, how is the MUL set, and how does it differ from NSF/ANSI/CAN 61?
The standard sorts chemicals into 5 sections, from coagulation (Section 4) to membrane and well products (Section 8), and 48 of the 50 US states require it (NSF, 2019). It touches almost every family of water treatment chemicals dosed at a utility.
Below: scope, NSF 60 vs 61, MUL, TUL and SPAC, MULs for 37 listing categories, certification, the listings of 1,150 companies, who must comply and the timeline.
Every value on this page is checked against primary sources (the NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 text, NSF listings, SCC, eCFR, AWWA, CEN); see our methodology and fact-checking process. This page explains the standard; it is not legal or certification advice.
What Is NSF/ANSI/CAN 60?#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60, titled "Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals - Health Effects", is a joint US and Canadian standard that sets minimum health-effects requirements for chemicals, and for the contaminants and impurities they carry, when those chemicals are added directly to drinking water. It sets no performance, taste or odor requirements (Section 1.1); conformity is proven by third-party certification and a public listing.
Why does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 have several names?#
NSF 60, NSF/ANSI 60, ANSI/NSF 60 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 name the same standard: NSF wrote it at the request of US EPA in 1985, ANSI accredits it as an American National Standard, and "CAN" marks its status as a National Standard of Canada.
Which edition of NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 applies?#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 is revised by a joint committee and republished as dated editions; the table values on this page are cited from the 2020 text, and a new edition is in development under a notice of intent the Standards Council of Canada posted on 2025-12-19. Certifiers and regulators state the edition they audit to.
What Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Cover? Scope for Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 covers drinking water treatment chemicals in 5 sections: coagulation and flocculation (Section 4); corrosion and scale control, softening, sequestering and pH adjustment (Section 5); disinfection and oxidation (Section 6); fluoridation, dechlorination and other treatment (Section 7); and water supply products such as membrane antiscalants, cleaners and well aids (Section 8).
Table 1 lists the 5 treatment sections with example chemicals.
| Section | Treatment application | Example chemicals |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Coagulation and flocculation | aluminum sulfate, polyaluminum chloride, aluminum chlorohydrate, ferric chloride, polyDADMAC, polyacrylamide |
| 5 | Corrosion and scale control, softening, precipitation, sequestering, pH adjustment | caustic soda, lime, soda ash, phosphoric acid, orthophosphates, blended phosphates |
| 6 | Disinfection and oxidation | sodium hypochlorite, chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide |
| 7 | Miscellaneous treatment: fluoridation, defluoridation, algae control, dechlorination, antioxidants, dyes, biological substrate, tracers | fluorosilicic acid, sodium fluoride, sodium bisulfite, copper sulfate |
| 8 | Miscellaneous water supply products: antifoamers, separation-process scale inhibitors and cleaners, well-drilling and rehabilitation aids, cathodic-protection backfill | RO antiscalants, membrane cleaners, citric acid, well-drilling polymers |
Which drinking water treatment chemicals a plant typically doses, and why, is explained under drinking water treatment chemicals.
Chemicals intended to remain vs chemicals not intended to remain#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 covers 2 kinds of direct additives: chemicals intended to remain in finished water, such as coagulants, disinfectants and corrosion inhibitors, and chemicals added but not intended to remain, such as cleaners and dechlorinators (Section 1.2). How can a cleaner have a limit if it is flushed out? Its listing shows the MUL "NA", used off-line and flushed out. In blends, no ingredient may exceed its own MUL (Section 4.8.2).
What NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 does not cover#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 does not cover by-products formed when a chemical reacts with water constituents, products that intentionally introduce microorganisms, product performance, taste or odor, or the residual aluminum or iron left after coagulation (Sections 1.1, 1.2 and 4.3.2). The 4 exclusions are listed below.
- Reaction by-products
- Microbial products
- Performance, taste and odor
- Residual aluminum or iron after flocculation
NSF 60 vs NSF 61: Treatment Chemicals vs System Components and Process Media#
NSF 60 certifies chemicals dosed directly into drinking water, while NSF 61 certifies the components and materials water touches on its way to the tap, including pipes, tanks, filter and adsorbent media and on-site chemical generators; both use the toxicology criteria of NSF/ANSI/CAN 600. The regulations of 48 of the 50 US states require both (NSF, 2019).
Table 2 compares the two standards attribute by attribute.
| Attribute | NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 | NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 |
|---|---|---|
| What it certifies | chemicals added directly to drinking water (direct additives) | system components and materials in contact with drinking water (indirect additives) |
| Examples | coagulants, disinfectants, corrosion inhibitors, pH chemicals, fluoridation chemicals, cleaners | pipes, tanks, process media (filter media, granular and powdered activated carbon, resins), on-site chemical generators |
| Limit concept | MUL of the product in finished water, as product | product-specific use levels for process media (powdered activated carbon 100, 250, 590 or 750 mg/L) |
| Toxicology criteria | NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 (SPAC, TAC) | NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 (SPAC, TAC) |
| US adoption | 48 of 50 states (both standards, NSF 2019) | 48 of 50 states (both standards, NSF 2019) |
| Canadian adoption | 9 of 13 provinces and territories | 11 of 13 provinces and territories |
| Exceptions | calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide media are NSF 60 categories | chemicals made by a 61-certified generator can be evaluated under NSF 60 (NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025 Section 8) |
Process media under NSF/ANSI/CAN 61#
Filter media, adsorbents and ion-exchange resins are certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 as process media, not to NSF 60: powdered activated carbon, for example, carries NSF 61 use levels of 100, 250, 590 or 750 mg/L by product (NSF listings, 2026-10-20). Calcium carbonate (650 mg/L for most products) and magnesium oxide (100 mg/L) are the NSF 60 exceptions.
Adsorbents and filter media such as greensand, activated alumina and carbon are compared on adsorbents and filter media for water treatment.
On-site generators: where NSF 60 and NSF 61 meet#
An on-site generator is an NSF 61 component, but the chemical it makes can be evaluated under NSF 60: NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025 Section 8 lets a 61-certified generator carry an NSF 60 evaluation of its output, with the MUL, feedstocks and strengths on the label (NSF, 2025-10-23). Chlorine dioxide and monochloramine are covered through their precursors. Generator salt must keep bromide at or below 59 mg/kg (Section 7.9.1).
How Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Limit a Chemical? MUL, TUL and SPAC#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 limits a chemical with 3 numbers: the maximum use level (MUL) of the product, the typical use level (TUL) printed in the standard's tables, and the single product allowable concentration (SPAC) of each impurity the product may add.
Maximum use level (MUL)#
The maximum use level is the highest dose of a certified product, stated as product in mg/L (ppm) of finished water, and it counts the total added at every application point in the plant (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60-2020, Section 2.21). It is printed on the label and set per facility: one distributor's 50 % caustic soda lists at 200 mg/L at one facility and 100 mg/L at two others. The most frequent MUL is 250 mg/L (9,135 of 54,847 product-function rows, NSF listings, 2026-10-21).
Typical use level (TUL) vs MUL#
A typical use level is the historical dose printed in the standard's tables, while the MUL is the certified ceiling of one product: aluminum sulfate has a TUL of 156 mg/L (26.87 mg/L as Al2O3), but its most common product MUL is 150 mg/L as product (NSF listings, 2026-10-20).
Table 3 sets 15 typical use levels from the 2020 text beside the most common product MUL (as product, NSF listings, 2026-10-20).
| Chemical | TUL (2020 text) | Basis of TUL | Most common product MUL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum sulfate | 156 mg/L (26.87 mg/L as Al2O3) | as Al2(SO4)3·14H2O equivalent | 150 mg/L |
| Ferric chloride | 60.0 mg/L anhydrous; 100.0 mg/L hexahydrate (20.78 mg/L as Fe) | as FeCl3 | 250 mg/L |
| Polyacrylamide | 1.0 mg/L dry; 4.0 mg/L emulsion (0.05 % monomer gives at most 0.5 µg/L acrylamide) | as product | 1 mg/L |
| PolyDADMAC | 25 mg/L (at most 50 µg/L DADMAC carryover) | as product | 50 mg/L, then 25 |
| EPI-DMA polyamine | 10 mg/L (0.01 % epichlorohydrin gives at most 1 µg/L) | as product | 10 mg/L |
| Chlorine | 10 mg/L as Cl2 (30 mg/L for shock chlorination and new installations) | as Cl2 | 30 mg/L |
| Sodium hydroxide | 100 mg/L | as product | 100 mg/L |
| Sulfuric acid | 50 mg/L | as product | 50 mg/L |
| Hydrochloric acid | 40 mg/L | as product | 40 mg/L |
| Calcium hydroxide | 650 mg/L | as product | 650 mg/L |
| Calcium oxide | 500 mg/L | as product | 500 mg/L |
| Sodium carbonate | 100 mg/L | as product | 150 mg/L |
| Carbon dioxide | 600 mg/L | as product | 100 mg/L |
| Phosphoric acid | 13.8 mg/L (equal to 10 mg/L as PO4) | dry basis, as PO4 equivalent | 12 to 13 mg/L (commodity grades) |
| Zinc orthophosphate | 4.0 mg/L | as product | range 6 to 40 mg/L |
The listing MUL governs, never the TUL.
SPAC and TAC: impurity limits from NSF/ANSI/CAN 600#
A single certified product may add no more than 10 % of a contaminant's MCL to finished water: for bromate, with a 0.010 mg/L MCL, NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 sets the SPAC for sodium hypochlorite at 0.0033 mg/L, one third of the MCL (Section 6.3.2, 2020 text). Unregulated contaminants get a total allowable concentration (TAC); both criteria sit in NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 since 2018. How is the share proven? By testing at 10 times the MUL against 11 metals.
Worked example: checking a dose against the MUL#
Worked example: a polyaluminum chloride product listed at 250 mg/L as product allows 180 mg/L at rapid mix plus 60 mg/L ahead of filters (240 mg/L in total), but not 200 plus 80 mg/L (280 mg/L); at 10 MGD (37,854 m³/d) the 250 mg/L ceiling equals 20,850 lb/day (about 9,460 kg/d) of product. Inputs: 2 feed points, purity 100 % because the MUL is as product, lb/day = mg/L x MGD x 8.34 / purity. The chemical dosage calculator converts any MUL into kg/d, lb/day and pump settings.
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Requirements by Chemical Group#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 requirements differ by chemical group: each section adds its own impurity tests and use levels, and each product carries its own MUL, from 1.2 mg/L as product for sodium fluorosilicate to 650 mg/L for hydrated lime and calcium carbonate (NSF listings, 2026-10-20).
Table 4 compares the most common MULs of 37 listing categories in section order (mg/L (ppm) as product, NSF listings, 2026-10-20 and 2026-10-21).
| Group (section) | Chemical | Most common MUL | Other values or range | Listing condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coagulation (4) | aluminum sulfate (alum) | 150 | 400, 300; 25 to 500 | [AL] Al ≤ 2 mg/L |
| Coagulation (4) | sodium aluminate | 89 and 105 | 40 to 250 | [AL] |
| Coagulation (4) | polyaluminum chloride (PAC) | 250 | 22 to 625 | [AL] |
| Coagulation (4) | aluminum chlorohydrate (ACH) | 250 | 30 to 625 | [AL] |
| Coagulation (4) | ferric chloride | 250 | 547, 141, 600; 31 to 795 | none |
| Coagulation (4) | ferric sulfate | 600 | 250, 650; 20 to 650 | none |
| Coagulation (4) | polyDADMAC | 50, then 25 | 1 to 250 | none |
| Coagulation (4) | polyamine (epi-DMA) coagulant | 10 | 1 to 46 | [PY] 40 CFR 141.111 |
| Flocculation (4) | polyacrylamide (PAM) | 1 | 3, 3.5; about 0.2 to 160 | [PC] 40 CFR 141.111 |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) | 100 (50 % and solid) | 200 (25 %), 250 (20 %) | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | sulfuric acid | 50 | higher for dilute grades | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | hydrochloric acid | 40 | higher for dilute grades | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | hydrated lime | 650 | 1,625, 1,000; 40 to 4,961 | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | soda ash | 150 | 100 to 200 dry grades | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | carbon dioxide (CO2) | 100 | 200, 25 | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | calcite (calcium carbonate) media | 650 | 400, 200, 150 | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | phosphoric acid | 12 to 13 | formulated products up to 162 | none |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | zinc orthophosphate | 16, 20 and 25 | 6 to 40 | [ZN] Zn ≤ 2.0 mg/L |
| Corrosion and pH (5) | blended phosphates (category) | 25, then 11 | product-specific | none |
| Disinfection (6) | sodium hypochlorite | 84 (12.5 % products) | mostly 40 to 210; 15 to 500 | [HY] monitor chlorine species, chlorate, DBPs |
| Disinfection (6) | chlorine gas | 30 | 10, 5, 4, 1.3 | none |
| Disinfection (6) | calcium hypochlorite | 15 | 14, 13, 12, 10, 9, 8, 3 | none |
| Oxidation (6) | potassium permanganate | 50 (solid grades) | higher for dilute solutions | [MN] Mn ≤ 0.05 mg/L |
| Oxidation (6) | hydrogen peroxide | 35 %: 3 or 23 | 50 %: 2.1 or 16; 70 %: 1.5 or 11.5 | [HP] chlorination after, Cl2 ≤ 4 mg/L |
| Oxidation (6) | sodium chlorite | 31 %: 22; 25 %: 28 | 0.2 to 200 | ClO2 generation only |
| Chloramination (6) | ammonium sulfate | 40 %: 60 | 5 to 184 | none |
| Fluoridation (7) | fluorosilicic acid (FSA) | 5 | 6, 4, 3, 2.7, 2.6, 1.2 | some: Cu ≤ 1.3 mg/L |
| Fluoridation (7) | sodium fluoride | 2.2 | 2.3 | none |
| Fluoridation (7) | sodium fluorosilicate | 1.2 | none | none |
| Dechlorination (7) | sodium bisulfite | 46 | 50; 8 to 160 | [SF] sulfite ≤ 0.1 mg/L |
| Dechlorination (7) | sodium metabisulfite (SMBS) | 15 | 10 to 50 | [SF] |
| Dechlorination (7) | calcium thiosulfate | 50 | none | none |
| Algae control (7) | copper sulfate (reservoir algaecide) | 4 | 1 to 20 | [CP] Cu ≤ 1.3 mg/L |
| Membranes (8) | HEDP (etidronic acid) | 20 | 0.8 to 80 | none |
| Membranes (8) | ATMP | 20 | 4 to 100 | none |
| Membranes (8) | RO membrane cleaning chemicals (function) | NA (off-line, flushed out) | most listings NA | "designed to be used off-line and flushed out" |
| Membranes (8) | citric acid | NA | none | off-line; flushed before service |
Every water treatment chemical's function, CAS number and NSF status is filterable in the water treatment chemical database.
Coagulants and flocculants (Section 4)#
Coagulant and flocculant listings carry the widest MULs in NSF/ANSI/CAN 60, from 1 mg/L for most polyacrylamide products to 600 mg/L for most ferric sulfate products, and aluminum coagulants add the condition that aluminum in finished water may not exceed 2 mg/L (NSF listings, 2026-10-20).
Coagulant classes, mechanisms and dose ranges are compared on coagulants for water treatment.
Phosphates, corrosion control, scale and pH chemicals (Section 5)#
Corrosion control and pH chemicals are certified as product at MULs that scale with strength, most commonly 100 mg/L for 50 % caustic soda and 650 mg/L for hydrated lime, while phosphate use levels derive from a dose equal to 10 mg/L as PO4 (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60-2020 Table 5.1).
Orthophosphate and pH targets for lead control are set by the Lead and Copper Rule and corrosion control requirements.
Disinfection and oxidation chemicals (Section 6)#
Disinfection and oxidation chemicals carry the tightest impurity rules in NSF/ANSI/CAN 60: sodium hypochlorite must keep bromate within its 0.0033 mg/L SPAC at the MUL, its shipping documents must show manufacturing and repackaging dates, and its most common MUL is 84 mg/L as product for 12.5 % solutions (NSF listings, 2026-10-21). Chlorine lists at 30 mg/L as product; its TUL is 10 mg/L as Cl2 (30 mg/L for shock chlorination).
Primary and secondary disinfectants are compared under drinking water disinfection.
Fluoridation, dechlorination and algae control (Section 7)#
Fluoridation chemicals are certified in Section 7 to a fluoride criterion of 1.2 mg/L as F, and arsenic, their main impurity, was detected in 52 % of 328 product samples tested from 2012 to 2017 at a mean of 0.16 µg/L and a maximum of 0.9 µg/L at use level, below the 1 µg/L SPAC (NSF, 2019).
Feed systems and doses are covered in water fluoridation chemicals and dosing.
Dechlorinators and algaecides carry sulfite and copper conditions (Table 5).
The MCL, SMCL and international limits for fluoride in drinking water sit on a separate page.
RO antiscalants, membrane cleaners and well products (Section 8)#
Section 8 products such as RO antiscalants are certified for dosing ahead of membranes, most commonly at 10 mg/L as product, while membrane cleaners carry the MUL "NA" because they are used off-line and flushed out (NSF listings, 2026-10-21). Guar gum and starch well-drilling polymers are not approved (Section 8.3.1).
Chemistries and dose control of RO antiscalants are compared on RO antiscalants.
Which chemicals have no NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 category?#
Five groups of water treatment chemicals have no chemical-name category in the NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 listing search (2026-10-20): chelants such as EDTA and GLDA, closed-loop inhibitors such as nitrite, molybdate and azoles, green scale inhibitors such as PESA, wastewater carbon and nitrate sources such as methanol and calcium nitrate, and natural coagulants such as chitosan. The 5 groups are listed below.
- Chelants: EDTA, NTA, GLDA, MGDA, gluconate
- Corrosion inhibitors: nitrite, molybdate, azoles, filming amines
- Green scale inhibitors: polyaspartic acid, PESA
- Wastewater chemicals: methanol, calcium nitrate
- Natural coagulants: chitosan, moringa
Ozone, chlorine dioxide and monochloramine have no own-name listing either.
How Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Certification Work?#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification works in 4 stages: formulation review, laboratory testing against the toxicology criteria, a yearly cycle of product testing and unannounced facility inspections, and labeling that ties every shipment to its listing.
Formulation review, testing and toxicology#
Certification starts with a full formulation disclosure and a laboratory test of the product at 10 times its proposed MUL, and any untreated surface, ground or rain water used to make the product is screened for metals, volatile organics, radionuclides, pesticides and dioxins (Section 3.2.3.1). Results are judged against NSF/ANSI/CAN 600.
Annual testing and unannounced inspections#
A certified product is retested at least once per calendar year and its facility is inspected unannounced at least once per year, and a product left untested for more than 3 years is non-compliant (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60-2020, Section 3.8). A 1 to 2 hour arrival delay is acceptable.
Labels, repackaging and supplier certification#
Certification travels with the label, not with the molecule: a certified chemical that is repackaged, diluted, blended or reacted at an uncertified site loses its NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 status, so a distributor that transfers product needs its own certified facility. The label shows manufacturer, product, net weight, lot number, MUL and certification mark (Section 3.5).
How to compare manufacturers, blenders and distributors is covered under water treatment chemical suppliers.
Accredited certification bodies#
Several accredited bodies certify to NSF/ANSI/CAN 60, among them Kiwa, NSF and UL Solutions, and each must meet NSF/ANSI 223, the conformity-assessment standard for bodies that certify to NSF/ANSI/CAN 60.
How to Read the NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Listings#
The NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 listings are the public record of certification: on 2026-10-21 they named 1,150 companies, 2,834 facility entries, 36,629 products and 54,847 product-function rows across 120 chemical categories and 44 product functions (NSF listings, current as of 12:15 a.m. ET).
What one listing row contains#
One NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 listing row ties a company, a facility, a trade designation, a product function and a maximum use level together, so the same product can carry different MULs at different facilities.
Listing footnotes and finished-water conditions#
Listing footnotes add conditions the utility must meet in finished water, such as aluminum at no more than 2 mg/L for aluminum coagulants and residual sulfite at no more than 0.1 mg/L for sulfite dechlorinators, and these conditions are certification terms, not EPA limits. Table 5 lists the 8 codes.
| Code | Applies to | Condition in finished water |
|---|---|---|
| [AL] | aluminum coagulants | aluminum ≤ 2 mg/L (not an MCL; US SMCL 0.05 to 0.2 mg/L, 40 CFR 143.3, non-enforceable) |
| [ZN] | zinc products | zinc ≤ 2.0 mg/L |
| [MN] / [PO] | permanganates | manganese ≤ 0.05 mg/L |
| [CP] | copper-containing products | copper ≤ 1.3 mg/L |
| [SF] | sulfite dechlorinators | residual sulfite ≤ 0.1 mg/L (100 µg/L) recommended maximum |
| [HP] | hydrogen peroxide | use followed by chlorination; chlorine residual ≤ 4 mg/L |
| [PC] / [PY] | polyacrylamides, polyamines | comply with 40 CFR 141.111 percent monomer and dose |
| [HY] | hypochlorites | monitor chlorine species, chlorate and DBPs; see the AWWA B300 handling appendix |
Who Must Use NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Certified Chemicals?#
Public water systems use NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certified chemicals wherever a state, province or bid specification requires them, which covers 48 of the 50 US states (NSF, 2019).
US states, primacy agencies and utility bids#
State drinking water programs make NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 binding in 48 of 50 states, and utilities repeat the requirement in chemical bids, often asking for the certification, the NSF maximum use level in mg/L and AWWA conformance in one bid package. On-site handling is decided by the utility or its primacy agency.
How utilities write water treatment chemical bids is covered separately.
Canada, the EU and other jurisdictions#
Outside the US, 9 of 13 Canadian provinces and territories require NSF/ANSI/CAN 60, while the EU regulates treatment chemicals under Article 12 of Directive (EU) 2020/2184 and European product standards instead. Health Canada controls acrylamide through certification (2025).
Article 12 is explained under the EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184.
How does a utility check a certified delivery?#
A utility checks a certified delivery in 5 steps, comparing the paperwork with the official listing before the chemical enters storage. The 5 steps are listed below.
- Match company, product and facility names to the listing.
- Confirm the certification mark and the MUL.
- Check that containers arrive sealed.
- Read the dates on hypochlorite shipping documents.
- Reject product transferred at an unlisted facility.
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Timeline and Pending Changes#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 dates from December 1987, when NSF first adopted it to replace the US EPA Additives Advisory Program, and its toxicology moved into NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 in 2018; the next edition is in development under a notice of intent posted on 2025-12-19. Table 6 keeps final, development and pending items apart; no date is set for the next edition.
| Date | Event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | US EPA asks NSF to develop health-effects standards for treatment chemicals | final |
| 1987-12 | NSF adopts the standard | final |
| 1988 | revised June and October 1988; replaces the US EPA Additives Advisory Program | final |
| 2015-04 | NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416 sustainability standard launched | final |
| 2018 | NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 published; Annexes A and C of NSF 60 retired (December) | final |
| 2019 | NSF reports adoption in 48 of 50 US states and 9 of 13 Canadian jurisdictions | final |
| 2020 | edition whose table values this page cites | final |
| 2025-10-23 | NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025 Section 8: generator-made chemicals evaluated under NSF 60 | final |
| 2025-12-19 | SCC notice of intent for a new edition; comments 2026-01-06 to 2026-01-27 | development |
| 2026-10-21 | listing snapshot used for the counts on this page | snapshot |
| no date | next edition | pending |
Related Standards: NSF/ANSI/CAN 600, NSF/ANSI 223, NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416, AWWA and EN#
Five standards sit around NSF/ANSI/CAN 60: NSF/ANSI/CAN 600 holds the toxicology criteria, NSF/ANSI 223 governs the certifiers, NSF/AWWA/ANSI 416 (April 2015) is a sustainability standard for chemical makers and distributors, and AWWA B-series and EN standards specify product quality.
NSF covers health effects, AWWA quality and performance, and utilities usually require both, such as ANSI/AWWA B300-24 for hypochlorites; every edition is listed under AWWA B-series standards.
In Europe, EN 901:2024 covers sodium hypochlorite; the series is listed under EN standards for drinking water treatment chemicals.
Official Sources and How to Verify an NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 Certification#
An NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification is verified in the certifier's public listing, not on a sales sheet: the NSF search filters listings by manufacturer, trade name, chemical name, product function and facility location. Official sources are the NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 listing search, UL Product iQ and the SCC notice page; NSF sells the standard text.
This page summarizes official requirements for information only and is not legal advice; for a compliance decision, check the current official text and consult the competent authority or a qualified legal adviser.
How Do NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 and Other Water Treatment Standards Apply in Practice?#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 decides whether a chemical may enter drinking water and in what amount, while the other water treatment standards decide product quality, limits in finished water and the rules for discharge or food-plant use.
Every instrument is indexed under water treatment regulations and standards.
Is NSF 60 bleach different from other sodium hypochlorite?#
NSF 60 bleach is sodium hypochlorite made and shipped by a certified facility under a listed MUL, most often 84 mg/L as product for 12.5 trade % solutions (125 g/L available chlorine), with dated shipping documents (NSF listings, 2026-10-21).
Is NSF the same as UL?#
No: NSF and UL Solutions are separate certification bodies, and both certify drinking water treatment chemicals to the same NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 standard, each publishing its own listing (UL Product iQ for UL).
How hard is it to get NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification?#
NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification requires a full formulation disclosure, a laboratory test at 10 times the proposed MUL, an initial facility audit and then yearly retesting and unannounced inspections for as long as the product is listed.
Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 cover boiler water additives in food plants?#
No: water treatment chemicals used in food and beverage plants fall under a separate NSF Nonfood Compounds registration with G category codes, and food-contact steam additives are governed by 21 CFR 173.310.
The food-contact steam rules sit in 21 CFR 173.310 boiler water additives.
Is a certified chemical safe at any dose?#
No: NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 certification covers health effects only up to the product's MUL in finished water, so a certified chemical dosed above its MUL is outside its certification.
Does NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 test taste, odor or performance?#
No: NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 sets no performance, taste or odor requirements (Section 1.1); product quality and performance sit in AWWA B-series and EN product standards.