Rule 150-8-.05. Dental Unit Water Quality

1. (1) A licensed dentist shall use water for nonsurgical procedures that meets United States Environmental Protection Agency regulatory standards for drinking water of five hundred or less colony-forming units or CFUs/mL.

2. (2) A licensed dentist shall be responsible that staff are following dental equipment manufacturer's instructions for use when testing the water delivery system for acceptable water quality. If manufacturer's instructions for use are unavailable, a licensed dentist shall be responsible to ensure that the water delivery system is at acceptable water quality quarterly. A licensed dentist shall be responsible for testing the water delivery system within 30 days of repair or changes to plumbing.

   1. (a) Effective January 1, 2025, all dental unit water lines must be tested quarterly.

      1. 1. All water lines for each operatory or dental unit can be pooled as one single sample.

         1. (i) A pooled sample must use an equal amount of water from each water line.
         2. (ii) A pooled sample can have up to ten water lines included.
         3. (iii) The number of water lines pooled into one sample must be documented.
      2. 2. All water lines for each operatory or dental unit can be tested individually.
   2. (b) In the event of an unacceptable level of colony-forming units or CFUs, a licensed dentist shall take immediate remedial action. For the purposes of this section, remedial action means any action necessary to reduce the CFUs to five hundred or a lesser number currently recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as acceptable for drinking water.
   3. (c) A licensed dentist shall be responsible for recording the water delivery system testing and maintenance in the form of a log reflecting dates and person or persons conducting the test and/or reports from an independent testing entity. A licensed dentist shall maintain this documentation for a period of five years.

Authority: O.C.G.A. §§ 43-1-19, 43-11-7, 43-11-47, 43-11-72.

History. Original Rule entitled "Dental Unit Water Quality" adopted. F. June 30, 2025; eff. July 20, 2025.

Amended: F. Apr. 10, 2026; eff. Apr. 30, 2026.