Current through February 24, 2025
(1) GENERAL. An adequate supply of potable
water shall be supplied under pressure for milkhouse and milking operations.
Water used for milkhouse and milking operations, including water used to cool
milk in a plate or tubular cooler, shall be potable. Potable water shall comply
with the microbiological drinking water standards set forth in s.
NR 809.30.
Note: A properly designed and installed water
supply tank that utilizes static head pressure to provide potable running water
to the milkhouse is minimally adequate to comply with this
paragraph.
(2) BACKFLOW
PROTECTION; CROSS-CONNECTIONS. A potable water supply system on a dairy farm
shall be designed, constructed, installed, and maintained to prevent
contamination of the potable water supply through backflow, backsiphonage,
cross-connections, or any other connection to the potable water supply system.
An air gap adequate to prevent the back-siphonage or backflow of any liquids
shall be maintained between every potable water outlet and the flood rim of the
fixture that it supplies, and between the potable water outlet and every other
source of potential contamination, unless alternative protection is approved
under s.
SPS 382.41.
(3) WELL CONSTRUCTION. Wells used to supply
water for milkhouse and milking operations on dairy farms shall comply with ch.
NR 810, 811, or 812 in the case of a community water system.
(4) WATER TRANSPORTED TO DAIRY FARM. A person
transporting water in containers or tanks to a dairy farm for milkhouse or
milking operations shall seal the containers or tanks to prevent contamination.
The containers and tanks shall be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before being
filled with potable water for use at the dairy farm. A sanitarily designed,
cleaned, and sanitized pump, hose, and fittings shall be used to transfer water
from transport containers and tanks to previously cleaned and sanitized storage
tanks at the dairy farm so that the water is not contaminated during transfer
or by the storage tanks.
(5) WATER
QUALITY TESTING BY DAIRY PLANT. A dairy plant operator, including a milk
contractor that submits a milk producer license application on behalf of a milk
producer and thereby certifies that the milk producer's dairy farm and milking
operations comply with applicable requirements under this chapter, shall do all
of the following for each milk producer from whom the dairy plant operator
procures milk:
(a) Sample the milk producer's
water supply at least once every two years. If the water supply system has more
than one well, water from each well shall be sampled. The water sample from
each well shall be taken from water before it has flowed into a pressure tank
or any water treatment equipment.
(b) Sample the milk producer's water supply
whenever the milk producer installs, alters, or repairs the water supply
system.
(c) Sample any transported
water supply used by the milk producer at the point of use, at or before first
use and monthly thereafter.
(d)
Have each water sample under this subsection analyzed at a laboratory that is
certified under ch. ATCP 77 to perform water quality analyses. The laboratory
shall analyze the water samples for compliance with the microbiological
drinking water standards set forth in s.
NR 809.30. The dairy plant operator shall submit each
water quality analysis result to the division within 30 days after the dairy
plant receives the water quality analysis result. If the analysis of any water
sample indicates that the water supply of a dairy farm may be unsafe, the dairy
plant operator, within 3 business days of the water quality analysis result
being reported to the dairy plant operator, shall report the analysis result to
the division and resample the water supply and have it analyzed.
(6) RECIRCULATING WATER SYSTEM.
(a) A milk producer may use re-circulated
water in a plate cooler to cool milk on a dairy farm if all of the following
apply:
1. The recirculated water originates
from a safe source that complies with applicable provisions of ch. NR 810, 811,
or 812.
2. The recirculated water
meets the microbiological standards of s.
NR 809.30.
3.
The recirculated water is protected from contamination.
4. The coolant used in the water
recirculation system is non-toxic food or pharmaceutical grade propylene glycol
meeting the specifications in
21 CFR 184.1666,
and does not contain coliform bacteria as determined by sampling and analysis
done at least semi-annually by the dairy plant operator.
5. The dairy plant operator who procures milk
from the milk producer tests the recirculated water for coliform bacterial
contamination at least semi-annually.
(b) If a recirculating water system, under
par. (a), becomes contaminated, the milk producer shall stop using the system
until all the following conditions are met:
1. The milk producer eliminates the
contamination source and treats the recirculated water to make it
potable.
2. The dairy plant
operator who procures milk from the milk producer retests the recirculated
water to determine whether the contamination is eliminated.
3. Retesting shows that the recirculated
water complies with the bacteriological standards under par. (c).
(c) Recirculated water shall meet
all the following bacteriological test standards:
1. The most probable number (MPN) of coliform
organisms shall be less than 1.1 per 100 ml. as determined using the multiple
tube fermentation technique, or less than 1.0 per 100 ml. as determined using
the membrane filter technique.
2.
Bacteriological testing using the membrane filter technique shall show not more
than 200 total bacterial colonies per 100 ml.
3. Bacteriological testing using a
heterotrophic plate count technique shall show not more than 500 colonies per
ml.
(7) WATER
RECLAIMED FROM A HEAT EXCHANGER.
(a) Water
reclaimed from a heat exchanger, may be used for milkhouse and milking
operations, including cooling milk in a plate or tubular cooler, if all of the
following conditions are met:
1. The water is
stored in a cleaned and sanitized vessel that is constructed of
non-contaminating materials and is designed to protect the water supply from
contamination. The storage vessel shall have a drain and access point that
allow for cleaning and sanitizing.
2. There is no cross-connection between the
reclaimed water and any potential contamination source or potentially unsafe
water supply.
3. There are no
submerged inlets through which the reclaimed water may be
contaminated.
4. The water is of
satisfactory organoleptic quality.
5. The water complies with the
microbiological drinking water standards in s.
NR 809.30.
6.
The dairy plant operator who procures milk from the milk producer collects and
analyzes samples of the reclaimed water supply before the milk producer first
uses the water for milkhouse and milking operations, and at least semi-annually
thereafter.
7. Any chemicals used
to suppress bacterial growth, tastes, and odors are registered for that use
with the U.S. environmental protection agency. Milk processed in or exposed to
any system using chemicals to suppress bacterial growth, tastes, and odors
shall not be allowed to become contaminated with those chemicals. A milk
producer who uses any chemical to suppress bacterial growth, tastes, or odors
shall comply with the chemical label use instructions, and shall routinely
monitor chemical concentrations in treated water.
8. Sanitizers used to sanitize equipment,
utensils, teats of milking animals, or to backflush systems, shall be chemical
sanitizers that comply with
21 CFR
178.1010, are registered with the U.S.
environmental protection agency, and are thereby suitable for use on food
contact surfaces. An approved sanitizer may be added by an automatic metering
device that is located downstream from the storage vessel but upstream from the
end-use application of the sanitizer.
(b) Water obtained directly from the
discharge of an unpasteurized milk heat exchanger after a milking may be used
once to pre-rinse dairy equipment including milk lines, milking claw
assemblies, and milk receivers if all of the following apply:
1. The water is collected directly from the
heat exchanger into a cleaned and sanitized wash vat or utensil sink.
2. The water piping system complies with sub.
(2).
3. After pre-rinse use, the
water is discharged to waste.
Note: Paragraph (b) does not prevent the use
of heat exchanger discharge water for non-potable uses involving no contact
with potable water, milk, milk contact surfaces or potable water contact
surfaces. Before using or discharging heat exchanger discharge water, contact
the Division of Water, Bureau of Drinking Water and Ground Water, at the
Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, telephone
608-266-0821 or TTY access via relay 711 or
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/environmentprotect/water.html.
(8) WATER RECLAIMED
FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN A HEAT EXCHANGER. Water reclaimed from a compressor
cooling unit, manure treatment, or from other dairy farm systems or processes
may be used as non-potable water for milking barn or parlor operations, not to
include rinsing, cleaning and sanitizing of milking systems, if all of the
following conditions are met:
(a) The water
is reclaimed by means of evaporation, reverse osmosis, ultra-filtration, or
another method approved by the division.
(b) The water is stored in a cleaned and
sanitized vessel that is constructed of non-contaminating materials and is
designed to protect the water supply from contamination. The storage vessel
shall have a drain and access point that allow for cleaning and
sanitizing.
(c) There is no
cross-connection between the reclaimed water and potable water supplies or
between the reclaimed water and any potential contamination source or
potentially unsafe water supply.
(d) There are no submerged inlets through
which the reclaimed water may contaminate the potable water system.
(e) Any chemicals used to suppress bacterial
growth, tastes, and odors are registered for that use with the U.S.
environmental protection agency. A milk producer who uses any chemical to
suppress bacterial growth, tastes, or odors shall comply with the chemical
label use instructions, and shall routinely monitor chemical concentrations in
the treated water.
