§ 59.207. Water supply.

 (a)  Water for milk plant purposes shall be from an adequate supply, properly located, protected, and operated. It shall be easily accessible and of a safe, sanitary quality.

 (b)  The water supply shall be approved as safe by the State Water Control Authority and, in the case of individual water systems, it shall contain a Most Probable Number of Coliform Organisms (MPN) of less than 2.2/100 ml by the multiple tube fermentation technique or less than 1/100 ml by the membrane filter technique.

 (c)  There shall be no cross-connection between the safe water supply and any unsafe or questionable water supply or any source of pollution through which the safe water supply might become contaminated. A connection between the water supply piping and a make-up tank such as for cooling or condensing, unless protected by an air gap or effective backflow preventer, constitutes a violation of this subsection.

 (d)  Condensing water for milk evaporators, and water used to produce a vacuum or to condense vapors in vacuum heat processing equipment shall be from a source complying with subsection (b); provided that, when approved by the Secretary, water from sources not complying with subsection (b) may be used when the evaporator or vacuum heat equipment is constructed and operated to preclude contamination of such equipment or its contents by condensing water or by water used to produce a vacuum. Means of preventing such contamination are either of the following:

   (1)  Use of a surface type condenser in which the condensing water is physically separated from the vapors and condensates.

   (2)  Use of reliable safeguards to prevent the overflow of condensing water from the condenser into the evaporator. Such safeguards include a barometric leg extending at least 35 feet vertically from the invert of the outgoing condensing water line to the free level at which the leg discharges or a safety shutoff valve, located on the water feed line to the condenser, automatically actuated by a control which will shut off the inflowing water when the water level rises above a predetermined point in the condenser. This valve may be actuated by water, air, or electricity and shall be designed so that failure of the primary motivating power will automatically stop the flow of water into the condenser.

 (e)  Condensing water for all milk evaporators complying with subsection (b) and water reclaimed from milk or milk products may be reused when all necessary means of protecting are afforded and it has been inspected and approved by the Secretary’s representative.

 (f)  New individual water supplies and water supply systems which have been repaired or otherwise become contaminated shall be disinfected before being placed in use. The supply shall be made free of the disinfectant by pumping to waste before any sample for bacteriological testing is collected.

 (g)  Samples for bacteriological testing of individual water supplies shall be taken upon the initial approval of the physical structure, each six months thereafter, and when any repair or alteration of the water supply system has been made. Bacteriological examinations shall be conducted in a laboratory acceptable to the Secretary.

 (h)  Current records of water tests shall be kept on file by the permittee.

   This section cited in 7 Pa. Code §  59.217 (relating to cooling of milk); 7 Pa. Code §  59.251 (relating to receiving station requirements); 7 Pa. Code §  59.252 (relating to transfer station requirements); 7 Pa. Code §  59.253 (relating to tank truck cleaning and sanitizing facilities requirements); and 7 Pa. Code §  59.703 (relating to facilities).