Water Systems Council/ASSE Performance Requirements for Pitless Adapters, Pitless Units, and Well Caps Designated an American National Standard by ANSI

WASHINGTON – A co-development effort by the Water Systems Council and ASSE International to update the standard for Performance Requirements for Pitless Adapters, Pitless Units, and Well Caps — ASSE 1093-2019 / WSC PAS-97(2019) — has resulted in its designation as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

The Water Systems Council (WSC) first established a standard for pitless adapters and pitless units in 1966, followed by the development of a standard for well caps in 1988. A combined standard — PAS-97 — was adopted in 1997. In 2019, WSC’s PAS-97 Working Group co-developed a revision of the PAS-97 standard with the Product Standards Committee of ASSE International in order to meet ANSI accreditation requirements.

Pitless adapters and pitless units are devices designed to attach to openings in the water well casing. When properly installed, they provide sanitary connections by preventing the entrance of contaminants from surface or near-surface sources through such openings into the well or potable water supply, and permit the termination of the well above the ground surface.

“WSC and I are pleased to have worked together with ASSE to bring this standard into an ANSI-accredited consensus process,” said John Surinak, President of Maass Midwest Mfg., Inc. and ASSE 1093 / PAS-97 Working Group Chairperson. “This most recent revision to WSC PAS-97 clarified pitless adapter and pitless unit definitions, revised the pitless adapter and pitless unit testing, and revised the sanitary well cap watertight capability testing. Separate tests for surface water contamination and internal pressure for pitless adapters, and similar tests for pitless units were also developed.”

Performance requirements in ASSE 1093-2019 / WSC PAS-97(2019) include compliance testing for water contamination and internal pressure of pitless adapters and pitless units, and tamper resistance, water resistance, vermin and contaminant/pollutant resistance, and venting of sanitary well caps, among other detailed requirements.

To purchase ASSE 1093-2019 / WSC PAS-97(2019), visit Water Well Standards page on the WSC website. For questions regarding the standard, contact Manager of Product Certification and Standards Christopher White at [email protected] or Water Systems Council Member Services Director Erin Coffman at [email protected].

About Water Systems Council

The Water Systems Council is the only national, nonprofit organization solely focused on household wells and small water well systems. WSC is committed to ensuring that Americans who get their water from household private wells have safe, reliable drinking water and to protecting our nation’s groundwater resources. For more information, visit watersystemscouncil.org.

About ASSE International

ASSE International is an ANSI-accredited standards developer and product certification body
composed of members representing all disciplines of the plumbing and mechanical industries.
ASSE’s product performance standards, professional qualifications standards, professional
certification and product listing programs aim to improve the performance and safety of plumbing and mechanical systems. Learn more at http://www.asse-plumbing.org/.