GLOSSARY

More and more often we hear about 'Mayor's Water', but what is it really? It is, in fact, the so-called 'Tap Water'. It is called 'Acqua del Sindaco' (Mayor's Water) because, especially in the last 20 years, more and more municipalities have offered and continue to offer a service of good, safe and controlled water to their citizens through special facilities, called 'Case dell'Acqua' (Water Houses). Thanks to these modern public fountains, Italians are rediscovering tap water.

Taste, lower cost and sympathy for environmental issues are bringing more and more people closer to the use of zero-mile water. According to research carried out by Open Mind Research on the occasion of World Water Day (22 March), 73.7% of the population during 2017 chose the mayor's water and 44% now use it routinely.

Potable water is water that can be drunk without harming human health. Since antiquity, man has always paid particular attention to the quality of water for drinking, and more and more scholars over the years have been trying to establish the criteria for its suitability for human consumption. Scientific progress and the skills that have gradually been acquired have made it possible to safeguard human health in an increasingly targeted manner. Increasingly sophisticated laboratory instruments have in fact made it possible to detect unknown types of substances and micro-organisms, thus pushing knowledge to ever deeper levels.

Commonly, the term 'drinking water' is associated with the water distributed by the aqueduct, which must not contain microorganisms and parasites, or other substances in quantities or concentrations that represent a potential danger to human health. To ensure and, above all, protect human health, the European Community has clearly defined 56 monitoring parameters, setting for each one a concentration limit or a value not recommended. The parameters are subdivided as follows (Legislative Decree 31/2001 implementing Directive 98/83/EC on the quality of water intended for human consumption)

Microbiological parameters

Chemical parameters

Indicator parameters

Radioactivity

Water (H2O) is a chemically simple compound consisting of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. During its natural cycle, water travels a very long way both in the air (rain, snow) and on the ground, flowing on the surface or underground, and it is precisely during this phase that it comes into contact with elements and substances and loses its natural purity, acquiring unique characteristics, typical of the areas from which it comes. Absolute 'purity' therefore remains a definition, an objective. Absolutely pure waters do not exist in nature and those that are commonly considered as such actually contain very low levels of contamination.

In any case, quality water that meets today's potability criteria is sufficient for 'everyday drinking'. Scams against end consumers have been reported in many commercial sectors concerning the definition of 'Pure Water'. One of the most common scams used to sell domestic reverse osmosis water purifiers concerns the electrolysis test, a sales technique implemented by some door-to-door sellers of reverse osmosis systems.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical element, especially in areas where there is volcanic soil because it is rich in minerals. In these areas, the water supplied to citizens' homes generally has a concentration of arsenic higher than the limits allowed by the European Union. In order to alleviate the inconveniences of the population living in these areas, the installation of Case dell'Acqua (Water Houses) has been used as if they were decentralised mini-purifiers in the areas concerned. Specific filtration systems, such as those that exploit the properties of adsorbent minerals, reverse osmosis or ion exchange resins, are installed in the Water Houses to bring arsenic within the limits.

In order to ensure a constant supply of compliant water, the Water Houses undergo regular maintenance and sanitisation visits by specialised technical personnel. During maintenance, all water circuits and all parts that come into contact with the water are sanitised, and when necessary, filtration systems are replaced with new ones.

Activated carbon is used to adsorb odours and tastes from water intended for human consumption and is widely used in Water House filtration systems. Activated carbon can be vegetable or mineral in nature and takes the form of granules contained inside a cartridge, into which the water to be treated is passed. Charcoal has the ability to retain odours and flavours on its surface, so it is used in the delivery systems of Water Houses in order to remove odours and flavours that may be unpleasant for the end user.

At the end of its life, carbon can release substances previously retained. In order to avoid this release, periodic replacement of the carbon must be carried out. The replacement will be carried out during maintenance operations of the Water House by specialised technical personnel.

Water Houses also called Water Points, Fountains, Public Dispensers, Sparkling Taps, are drinking water distribution systems (compliant with Legislative Decree 31/01) installed in special structures often located in public squares or urban agglomerations. The water dispensed may be chilled, natural and/or sparkling, against payment (coins and/or cards, keys), with controlled access (e.g. Regional Services Card), or free.

Public fountains have always accompanied man in his evolution, always playing a fundamental role in providing drinking water to the population. Running water, which we all take for granted today, is one of the privileges acquired with modern times and in the past was intended for the few. Only in recent times, and particularly after the Second World War, has the spread of affluence gradually brought the water supply inside homes and the utility of classic fountains has lost its primary significance as a 'source'. The so-called 'Fountains of the Third Millennium' are logistic-architectural solutions that offer a wide range of choices, colours and shapes, with technical solutions that can be customised to create, not a simple dispenser, but a meeting and socialising point, perfectly immersed in the surrounding environment. They have thus become, over time, a real place of aggregation and meeting, in increasingly extended and decentralised urban agglomerations. In fact, Water Houses are not to be understood as just replacements for the classic drinking fountains or 'vedovelle', but rather as an opportunity, an eco-sustainable alternative, especially to PET water.

The purpose of the Water Houses is to replace the consumption of bottled water with considerable savings both for the environment and for end users. In some areas, such as the metropolitan cities of Milan and Turin, Water Houses are widespread.

Our company currently has more than 700 installations and is continuously growing.

The construction quality of the plants, combined with proper maintenance and careful after-sales management (HACCP and qualified suppliers) with controls by competent authorities (municipality and ATS/ASL) are fundamental elements to guarantee the end user a safe food supply.

EU Regulation 178/2002 states that 'food shall mean any substance or product, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans'. This means that even gases, if intended for human consumption, are considered food, food ingredients or food additives. Food gases must not render the food harmful to human health and therefore unfit for human consumption. The law lays down specific requirements to be met when marketing food gases, in detail:

- the labelling of gas and its cataloguing;
- the traceability of the raw material and the destination of the product;
- satisfaction of certain specific purity criteria;
- the registration of facilities where food-grade gas companies operate;
- and finally hygiene with compliance with general and specific rules to ensure a high level of protection for the end consumer.

Several studies have proven that carbonated water promotes better gastric emptying and thus better digestion. More and more citizens prefer CO2-enriched water to natural water. In most of the installed Water Houses, it is possible to draw both still and sparkling water. In fact, there is a tank (minibulk) inside the structure which is periodically charged with CO2 in order to ensure a continuous supply of sparkling water.

HACCP (an acronym from Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, which can be translated into Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system) is a set of procedures, aimed at guaranteeing the healthiness of foodstuffs, based on prevention rather than analysis of the finished product. Its objective is to identify the critical points of possible bacterial contamination of a plant and, once identified, to implement procedures for the correct prevention of contamination.

Also part of the HACCP procedures are the instructions for proper maintenance. The HACCP document, issued by a food technologist, must be a compulsory part of the documents for opening a food business such as a Water House. In the field of water houses, the definition of a correct HACCP plan is fundamental to guaranteeing food safety; in fact, it must be taken into account that the quality of the water supplied directly involves the health of the end users who daily fill up at the water house.

The HACCP Self-Control Manual must be customised for each individual plant and must contain all the operations for day-to-day management and any emergency procedures, including records of non-conformities.

Legionella is a bacterium of which there are about 50 different species. The bacterium lurks in natural aquatic environments: spring water, rivers, lakes, mud, etc. From these it reaches artificial water systems that can act as amplifiers of the bacterium. The conditions that favour its proliferation in artificial environments are a temperature between 20 and 45°, the presence of an aerobic environment and the presence of nutrients such as slag and organic materials.

In the water networks of our cities there are critical elements that favour the development of Legionella. The presence of stagnation and obstructions, scale and limescale deposits, extended pipelines with dead joints and branches, accumulation tanks and recycling systems, wear and tear and corrosion of the networks are all factors that encourage the development of the bacterium due to stagnant water. Some of the operations that are implemented to abate and monitor Legionella are the descaling and removal of biofilm (biofilm created by an aggregation of microorganisms), the prevention of corrosion of pipes, and the removal of any dead branches that allow stagnant water.

In order to combat bacterial proliferation, point-of-use filtration, autoflushing, heat treatment or UV irradiation can be carried out. Finally, shock chlorination of the water can be carried out. In order to prevent the development of Legionella within the Water House supply systems, it is always necessary to carry out regular maintenance and sanitisation of the systems by specialised technical personnel.

The word maintenance refers to the set of operations to keep a Water House and a beverage dispensing system in general efficient. An improperly maintained and badly managed system can worsen the quality of the incoming water and this is not acceptable. Periodic maintenance is a topic of great importance and Ministerial Decree 25/2012 is very clear on the subject. In the part concerning the instructions, it specifies that the following warning must appear on all advertising and information material of the equipment: 'Warning: this equipment requires regular periodic maintenance in order to guarantee the potability requirements of the treated drinking water and the maintenance of the improvements as declared by the manufacturer'. However, it should be borne in mind that simply replacing the filter does not guarantee effective maintenance.

In fact, maintenance can be ordinary, i.e. with a predefined programme of checks and operations necessary for proper functioning, or extraordinary, which includes interventions resulting from non-compliance, disasters or breakdowns.

Maintenance must be carried out by qualified and specialised personnel. Over the years, our company has always carefully trained its staff in food safety, both from the point of view of correct hygiene practices and water microbiology, so that all operations are carried out with a high degree of attention and awareness on the part of the operator. Water is in fact considered to all intents and purposes a foodstuff and as such requires care and attention.

Maintenance is absolutely paramount and is intended to ensure optimal operating conditions.

In close cooperation with a qualified Food Technologist, we draw up a detailed maintenance plan for each individual plant, depending on the specific characteristics of the mains water, the type of plant and its use.

Maintenance is subject to specific legislation: D.M. 25/12, D.Lgs n. 10267 of 15/11/12, D.Lgs 31/01, Ministerial Decree n.174/04.

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Microfiltration consists of passing the water to be treated through a barrier consisting of a filter membrane with a certain mesh size (0.1-10 microns). The water will be passed through this membrane resulting in sand, debris, rust, algae and various sediments being retained by the filtration (residue).

The microfiltration process will not alter the chemical and physical characteristics of the water, e.g. mineral salts will not be removed, but only the so-called impurities in the water will be retained. In fact, drinking water requires this type of microfiltration before it is consumed, as it collects sediments, pebbles and various impurities released by obsolete pipes on its way from the aqueduct to any delivery system. The great advantage of running water through a microfiltration system will be that it will be less turbid and more crystal-clear-looking.

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(Food Business Operator) This is a natural or legal person responsible for ensuring compliance with the provisions of the legislation in the food business. The FBO of a drinking water treatment plant must conduct an analysis of the risks associated with its activity, to be included in the appropriate HACCP management system.

At a procedural level, it must follow the following steps:

- carry out a process analysis to preliminarily identify possible hazards characterising individual steps, from a microbiological, chemical and physical point of view.

- to quantify numerically a value to associate with the probability of the event occurring, based on one's own experience and the events that have taken place.

- quantify numerically a value to be associated with the damage due to the occurrence of the event. Specifically, the FBO must hypothesise a damage due to the occurrence, based on the consequences for human health. A precautionary attitude is recommended at this stage;

- calculate the value of the risk, as the product of the value attributed to the probability and the value attributed to the damage, i.e. carry out the multiplication between the terms introduced in the two previous points;

- establish the criteria for risk management and the related operational methods such as measurements and monitoring. The FBO must decide what is important to monitor for the control and management of the potential hazard.

- establish the persons responsible for managing the specific risk and the relevant operational protocols to be followed.

For each Water House it is therefore necessary to appoint the figure of the OSA, who is the person responsible for controlling all the activities inherent to the plant (maintenance, sanitisation, supply of CO2 E290, emergency management, etc.). From a regulatory point of view, no specialisation is currently required; in fact, this type of plant does not foresee the direct administration of the drink by the Operator in a controlled location (such as a restaurant or canteen), but rather the distribution of the water is completely automatic.

Over the years, our company has developed, with the collaboration of a Food Technologist specialised precisely in the field of Water Houses and cold beverage distribution systems, specific procedures of correct hygiene practice that support the FBO in all activities.

The reverse osmosis process takes place through an inversion of the natural process of osmosis. By exerting a higher counter-pressure than osmotic pressure, the treated water diffuses through a semi-permeable membrane (which acts as a filter) to generate two solutions with different concentrations: one concentrated and the other diluted.

Reverse osmosis serves both to desalinise water and to remove pollutant molecules. The use of reverse osmosis water treatment plants is to be assessed on the basis of the organoleptic characteristics of the water arriving from the water network. Certainly, its use is most recommended in areas where arsenic or PFAS substances are present in the water table, or in cases of water shortage or drought to filter saline or brackish water.

Reverse osmosis as a treatment is not always the best choice. Good drinking water must have a balanced salt content, and such an invasive treatment is not always healthy because it drastically impoverishes the treated water.

Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) belong to a family of chemical compounds belonging to the surfactant category. They are very strong acids used in the liquid state and their chemical structure makes them very resistant to the main natural degradation processes. Since the beginning of the 1950s, they have been widely used in a variety of industrial applications. PFAS are used in a variety of fields such as the production of textiles, the production of food packaging, the coating of non-stick frying pans and saucepans, the coating of various objects, and the coating of car seats and sofas. Numerous studies show that these substances are carcinogenic and highly harmful to the human body. They are believed to be responsible for various pathologies such as decreased fertility, stunted growth, cancer, etc.

PFAS pollution is particularly widespread in the Veneto region due to contamination of the aquifers used for drinking water, contamination caused by massive discharges by local companies. In order to alleviate the inconveniences of the population living in these areas, it is useful to install Water Houses that can guarantee citizens the consumption of water free of these substances and complying with the parameters in force.

In plants that filter water in which PFAS are present, additional activated carbon filters are installed or reverse osmosis treatment is widely used and effective.

The sampling point upstream of the plant is the physical place where water can be taken in order to verify and monitor the characteristics of the water before it enters the plant. This point must be "flammable" in order to ensure a better representation without contamination of the incoming water.

Sampling points must be located in positions that allow quick and safe access for operators, and must also guarantee the representativeness of the sample. The upstream sampling point must not be just any point of the internal water network, but a sampling point located just upstream of the plant, with the aim of precisely monitoring the microbiological and chemical characteristics of the water from the internal network, as provided for by point b of Art. 5 of Ministerial Decree no. 25 of 7 February 2012.

It must be borne in mind that sampling operations are of fundamental importance as, if carried out incorrectly, they can affect the results of the analyses: it is therefore necessary to comply with the sampling methods laid down in the regulations in force concerning the storage and transport of samples.

The withdrawal point downstream of the plant is configured as the delivery point, i.e. where the treated or untreated water, depending on the type of plant, physically leaves the plant to be fed into containers for subsequent use.

At this point, the water must maintain the potability characteristics provided at the delivery point (meter) and water is taken from here both for routine internal monitoring and for monitoring by official control bodies. At the sampling point downstream of the plant, the water is configured as food and therefore sampling operations must be carried out in the manner required by current regulations based on food sampling.

To ensure the reliability of the results, the analyses must be carried out by an accredited laboratory listed in the national register.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an environmental microorganism that multiplies in water, tolerating temperatures between 4° and 42°C, resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants. High concentrations have been found in packaged water, water softeners and household water treatment equipment; it can alter the organoleptic characteristics of water i.e. taste, odour and turbidity. It has also been found in the existence of biofilms (a complex aggregation of microorganisms characterised by the secretion of an adhesive and protective matrix), particularly in taps and faucets.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa can survive for months in distilled water, mild disinfectants or saline solutions. The risk of human contagion increases in the presence of immunodepressed persons, e.g. burns, cystic fibrosis patients, transplant patients, cancer patients and AIDS patients. In order to avoid contamination in the dispensing systems, the technical personnel carrying out routine maintenance operations will sanitise all circuits and all parts in contact with water using a special acid solution and then rinse them.

The delivery point is the place where a 'water manager', as defined in Article 2 of Legislative Decree No. 31 of 2 February 2001, (the entity which, on the basis of the agreement referred to in Article 11 of Law 36(b) of 5 January 1994, manages the integrated water services and, only until the integrated water service is fully operational, the existing public service operator) delivery, drinking water to the person in charge of the plant.

The point of delivery (usually identified with the meter) represents the demarcation of responsibilities between the water network operator (upstream) and the food company operator where the system is installed (downstream).

Contrary to popular belief, the discovery of UV systems in water purification dates back to the early 1900s and not to recent times. The discovery dates back to 1910 when Helbronner, Henry and Recklinghausen installed the first UV disinfection system in the Marseille drinking water plant. Since then their use has become increasingly widespread.

Ultraviolet disinfection systems exploit a principle that is physical and not chemical, i.e. irradiating the water to be treated with a dose of UV radiation. The radiation they emit is able to interfere with cell replication, so any microorganisms in the water lose their ability to multiply. In order to ensure an optimum degree of sterilisation, UV lamps must be replaced with new ones during maintenance of the water houses. Replacement generally takes place after 8000 hours of use or after 11 months of operation.

The use of UV is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with water supply systems in which a carbon filtration system is present. The adsorptive properties of the carbon remove flavours and odours from the water, while retaining the chlorine that had previously been fed into the water supply to sanitise the water. UV lamps are then installed to further sterilise the water in order to ensure a compliant water outlet.

Certified Declaration of Commencement of Activity - this is the declaration that allows businesses to start, modify or cease a productive activity (craft, commercial, industrial). The SCIA, pursuant to Article 19 of Law 241/90, produces immediate effects. Companies need only present the SCIA, correctly filled in and complete in all its parts, to start their business.

The file must be accompanied by the prescribed self-certifications regarding the possession of the subjective requirements (moral and professional, when required for the performance of certain activities) as well as objective requirements (regarding the urban, building, health and hygiene, environmental, etc. conformity of the premises and/or business equipment) and, when required, technical and planimetric drawings must also be attached. It is important to emphasise that each ATS/ASL receiving an SCIA must ascertain, within 60 days of receipt, the possession and truthfulness of the declared requirements, adopting, if not, the appropriate measures in the event that the entrepreneur is responsible for false declarations.

With reference to the Water Houses, it is necessary to file SCIA to start the activity, each Region has a specific regulation to which one should refer to know the obligations, requirements and documents necessary for the correct filling in of the SCIA.