If two tests are required to show potability of water, does it matter when they are taken?
Yes, it matters. The first sample is to be taken after the operation’s start date but prior to use of the
An operation involved in packing/repacking uses water for hand washing BUT they also have hand sanitizer. Do they need to test this water?
No. If hand sanitizer is used after hand washing (and drying with paper towel), then potable water is not required.
If an operation has portable toilets that are equipped with hand washing facilities (water reservoir, soap and paper towels) do they still need a water test(s) of the portable toilet hand washing water?
It depends on the option for hand washing that the operation has chosen. There are three options available: 1) hot and/or
Does water used for washing the inside of buildings (e.g., walls, floors, etc.) have to be tested for potability?
Section 15.1 (Water Assessment) states that the person responsible uses potable water for cleaning buildings, equipment, containers, etc., and that the
If an operation has five packing lines each with a final rinse and only one well sourcing them all, will they still autofail if they only test four of the final rinse lines?
Yes. All five lines must show potability. If the fifth line is not tested the operation will have no idea if
If an operation involved in packing/repacking has municipal water and is final rinsing product, does the water need to be tested?
An operation that is packing/repacking still needs two water tests per year from the final rinse nozzles. This is because the
If an operation has multiple packing lines each with a final rinse and only one well sourcing them all, do they need to test each packing line’s final rinse water?
Yes. The contamination might be in the final rinse equipment itself so each line needs to be tested.
An operation producing and packing potatoes for processing uses water to flume, wash and final rinse potatoes. Water is also used to clean the packing line and for hand washing. Does this operation need to test all of these water uses?
No. Potable water is not required for any uses in an operation handling potatoes for processing EXCEPT for hand washing. The
Operations that wash leafy greens and herbs have strict requirements in regard to maintaining water potability. Why is this? Can CanadaGAP provide further guidance to meet these requirements?
Please consult the following document Expectations for Post-Harvest Water Used in Leafy Green and Herb Field Operations for more information on
If water is taken into a production site to pre-wash a product (i.e., product is being immersed in a container/bin/tank of water), is this considered ‘water for washing/cooling product’ or ‘storage water’? For example: an operation with harvested carrots takes an open container/bin/tank of water into the field. After harvesting, the carrots are immersed in the water for pre-washing/cooling.
This pre-washing/cooling water being used in the field is considered ‘wash water’ and/or “cooling water” and all of the relevant commodity-specific