Water Management Programs

A Water Management Program (WMP) is the process by which the safety and efficiency of a facility’s potable and utility water systems is managed in an on-going, dynamic way that follows the guidance of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188.

If you already have a water safety plan for your facility, on-going verification and validation of the plan (in line with ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188) ensures that the plan is being implemented as designed and controlling the hazards.

Whether you’re in healthcare, hospitality, education or manufacturing, a WMP is the industry-standard method to ensure the safety and efficiency of any sufficiently large plumbing system.

Although the ANSI/ASHRAE
Standard 188 document does not require testing for Legionella or other pathogens, it does require validation of your program. The most defensible method for validation of a WMP is both environmental testing and clinical surveillance.

A WMP is designed to manage the water in a facility in ways that are measurable and meant to be documented. If there is no data being collected routinely (and verified, as recommended in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188), the existing plan might not be implemented correctly.

Managing a WMP can be a challenge when the documents and information are not easy to locate or work with. Phigenics has addressed this issue for our clients by developing a secure data management platform that stores all WMP documents, meeting notes, team information and decisions, and program details. The platform also allows for data entry and is a powerful tool for the verification and validation of a WMP.

Phigenics’ involvement with clients in various industries, and its INDEPENDENT position in the market, allow us to provide guidance and recommendations supported by data and the most current industry best practices.

Yes. The WMP is always under your organization's ownership and responsibility. As long as you follow the process that is described in ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188, you can be confident that your program is meeting industry best practices. Utilizing a third-party service provider can help add confidence to your decisions, but they should never be the sole author of your program.