15A NCAC 18A .1313      WATER SUPPLY

(a)  Water supplies at institutions shall meet the requirements in 15A NCAC 18C or 15A NCAC 18A .1700, as applicable.

(b)  In institutions that use a non-community water supply, a sample of water shall be collected by the Department once a year and submitted to the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health or other laboratory certified by the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health under 10A NCAC 41C .0102 to perform bacteriological examinations.

(c)  An institution's water supply plumbing shall not include cross-connections as set out in 15A NCAC 18C .0102(c)(8).

(d)  Institutions shall provide water heating facilities. Hot and cold running water under pressure shall be provided to carry out all operations. Hot water shall be provided at temperatures between 105 degrees Fahrenheit and 116 degrees Fahrenheit at handwashing and bathing facilities.

(e)  The administrator shall immediately notify the licensing agency and the local health department that serves the county in which the institution is located if the institution's primary water supply is interrupted for more than four consecutive hours. The institution shall have a written plan to obtain a backup water supply in the event that the institution's primary water supply is interrupted for more than four consecutive hours. The written plan shall identify a backup water supply or alternate source of water that provides two liters of potable water per day per resident and institution employee for drinking and potable water for food preparation, hand washing, bathing, cleaning, dishwashing, laundry, and disposal of bodily waste. This may include a plan for relocating residents to a facility with a water supply that satisfies Paragraph (a) of this Rule. If an institution's primary water supply or back up water supply becomes unsafe for human consumption then the water sources within the institution, such as sink faucets, shall be labeled or hooded to prevent their use and the administrator shall provide potable water for use by the institution's residents and employees.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 130A-4; 130A-29; 130A‑235;

Eff. February 1, 1976;

Readopted Eff. December 5, 1977;

Amended Eff. March 1, 2003 (see S.L. 2002-160); September 1, 1990; July 1, 1986;

Temporary Amendment Eff. June 1, 2003;

Amended Eff. February 1, 2004;

Readopted Eff. December 1, 2022.