Under the Produce Safety Rule, if production water is supplied by a public water system, what testing is required?

• A. None, just as long as you have a copy of test results or current certificates of compliance from the public water supply
• B. Annual certification
• C. Monthly testing for E. coli
• D. Quarterly testing for total coliform

Answer: (A)

When production water comes from a public water system, you don’t have to perform on-farm microbial testing under the Produce Safety Rule. The farm is allowed to rely on the public water system’s compliance with drinking water standards, as long as you keep documentation proving that status. So, the required action is to maintain copies of the water system’s most recent test results or a current certificate of compliance. This approach reduces duplicative testing and ensures inspectors can verify water quality through the supplier’s records. If the water source were not a public system, then you would have to establish on-farm testing according to the rule (for example, specific sampling and frequency for microbial indicators).