General
- FDA Launches Agricultural Water Assessment Builder to Help Farms Understand Agricultural Water Proposed Rule Requirements (FDA, March 21, 2022)
- FDA Proposes Changes to Food Safety Modernization Act Rule to Enhance Safety of Agricultural Water Used on Produce (FDA, Dec. 2, 2021)
- FDA finalizes new compliance dates for agricultural water requirements (FDA, 2019)
Produce Safety Alliance
- Geometric Means, Statistical Threshold Values, and Microbial Die-Off Rates (PDF 579 KB)
- Water analysis method requirement (PDF 192 KB)
The Produce Safety Rule (PSR) requires growers to initially establish a Microbial Water Quality Profile (MWQP) for each untreated agricultural water source used during growing activities of covered produce (other than sprouts) using a direct water application method and conduct annual surveys for that water source in subsequent years. The water quality profile is based on the levels of generic E. coli in your agricultural water. There are different requirements for agricultural water that comes from surface or ground (well) sources.
More information on the Produce Safety Rule and agricultural water can be found at FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety. (FDA)
Microbial Water Quality Profile (MWQP) for Agricultural Water
Resources
- Environmental Assessment / System Inspection Questionnaire (Bond-Partyka, 2020 Western Center for Food Safety) (PDF 280 KB)
- From United Fresh Produce Association: United Fresh’s Food Safety Council and Harmonized Calibration Committee agreed that the industry would benefit from a document that a grower can use to guide their thought process through the assessment of their agricultural water risk. The following document is a compilation of existing resources and approaches developed by the volunteer workgroup.
- Testing Agricultural Water for Fruit and Vegetable Production and Postharvest Handling (Washington State University) (Click to download; PDF is 3.3 MB)
- Dufour, A. P. and S. Schaub. The Evolution of Water Quality in the United States- 1922-2003. Chapter 1, L. J. Wymer (ed.), Statistical Framework for Recreational Water Quality Criteria and Monitoring. John Wiley and Sons, LTD, , Uk, , 1-12, (2007)
- USEPA Health Effects Criteria for Fresh Recreational Waters. EPA 600/1-84-004 (1984)
- USEPA Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Bacteria – 1986. EPA 440/5-84-2 (1986)
- USEPA Recreational Water Quality Criteria. Office of Water 820-F-12-058 (2012)
- FDA FSMA Final Rule for Produce Safety: How Did FDA Establish Requirements for Water Quality and Testing of Irrigation Water? (2015)
- FDA Fact Sheet Equivalent Testing Methodologies for Agricultural Water (2018)
- LGMA Metrics, Appendices, and Guidance documents
- Agricultural Water for Production: National GAP (CornellCALS)
Videos