Each plant shall be equipped with adequate sanitary facilities and accommodations including, but not limited to:

1. (1) Water supply. The water supply shall be sufficient for the operations intended and shall be derived from an approved source.

   1. (A) Requirements for approved source. Sources in Texas shall comply with the following requirements.

      1. (i) Public water systems. Sources in Texas which are public water systems shall comply with the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 341, Subchapter C, concerning drinking water standards and rules adopted thereunder by the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC), §§290.101-290.122 (relating to Drinking Water Standards Governing Drinking Water Quality and Reporting Requirements for Public Water Supply Systems), and §§290.38-290.47 (relating to Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems).
      2. (ii) Other sources. Any other sources in Texas shall comply with 30 TAC, §§290.101-290.122 concerning drinking water standards and 30 TAC, §§290.38-290.43 and §290.46 concerning rules and regulations for public water systems.
      3. (iii) Compliance with these sections is required as if the source were a public water system.

   2. (B) Sampling requirements.

      1. (i) Approved community public water systems as defined by 30 TAC, §290.38(8) and (41) (relating to Definitions). No additional source water sampling is required.
      2. (ii) Source water obtained from other than a community public water system shall be sampled in accordance with 30 TAC, §§290.101-290.122 for transient noncommunity water systems.
   3. (C) Any water that contacts food or food-contact surfaces shall be safe and of sanitary quality for its intended use. Running water at a suitable temperature, and under pressure as needed, shall be provided in all areas where required for the processing of food, for the cleaning of equipment, utensils, and food-packaging materials, or for employee sanitary facilities.

2. (2) Plumbing. Plumbing shall be of adequate size and design and adequately installed and maintained to:

   1. (A) carry sufficient quantities of water to required locations throughout the plant;
   2. (B) properly convey sewage and liquid disposable waste from the plant;
   3. (C) avoid constituting a source of contamination to food, water supplies, equipment, or utensils or creating an unsanitary condition;
   4. (D) provide floor drainage in all areas where floors are subject to flooding-type cleaning or where normal operations release or discharge water or other liquid waste on the floor; and
   5. (E) provide that there is no backflow from, or cross-connection between, piping systems that discharge waste water or sewage and piping systems that carry water for food or food manufacturing.
3. (3) Sewage disposal. Sewage disposal shall be made into an approved sewerage system in accordance with applicable state regulations and local ordinances.

4. (4) Toilet facilities. Each plant shall provide its employees with readily accessible toilet facilities adequate in number and location. Compliance with this requirement may be accomplished by:

   1. (A) maintaining the toilet facilities in a sanitary condition;
   2. (B) keeping the toilet facilities in good repair at all times;
   3. (C) providing self-closing doors on toilet facilities; and
   4. (D) providing doors on toilet facilities that do not open into areas where food is exposed to airborne contamination, except where alternate means have been taken to protect against such contamination (such as double doors or positive air-flow systems).

5. (5) Hand-washing facilities. Hand-washing facilities shall be adequate in number and location and be furnished with running water at a suitable temperature. Compliance with this requirement may be accomplished by providing:

   1. (A) hand-washing and, where appropriate, hand-sanitizing facilities at each location in the plant where good sanitary practices require employees to wash and/or sanitize their hands;
   2. (B) effective hand-cleaning and sanitizing preparations;
   3. (C) sanitary towel service or suitable drying devices;
   4. (D) devices or fixtures, such as water control valves, so designed and constructed to protect against recontamination of clean, sanitized hands;
   5. (E) readily understandable signs directing employees handling unprotected food, unprotected food-packaging materials, or food-contact surfaces to wash and, where appropriate, sanitize their hands before they start work, after each absence from post of duty, and when their hands may have become soiled or contaminated. These signs may be posted in the processing room(s) and in all other areas where employees may handle such food, materials, or surfaces; and
   6. (F) refuse receptacles that are constructed and maintained in a manner that protects against contamination of food.
6. (6) Rubbish and offal disposal. Rubbish and any offal shall be so conveyed, stored, and disposed of as to minimize the development of odor; minimize the potential for the waste becoming an attractant and harborage or breeding place for pests; and protect against contamination of food, food-contact surfaces, water supplies, and ground surfaces.

Source Note:The provisions of this §229.217 adopted to be effective August 15, 1999, 24 TexReg 6082; amended to be effective March 19, 2001, 26 TexReg 2195.