TJC at ASHE: New water management standard specifies requirements

by A.J. Plunkett (aplunkett@decisionhealth.com)

Your facility will need diagrams or schematics of its water system and a way to address stagnant water under the new requirements set out by a new standard from The Joint Commission (TJC).

The new Environment of Care standard EC.02.05.02 requires hospitals to have a water management program “in accordance with law and regulation.”

The standard is under field review and still has to be approved by CMS but is expected to be implemented by July 2021, said Tim Markijohn, MBA/MHA, CHFM, CHE, field director of Life Safety Code® (LSC) surveyors, during a TJC update at this year’s annual American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) conference.

The conference, like many others this year, was held virtually October 5–7 because of concerns about the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

Your facility will need diagrams or schematics of its water system and a way to address stagnant water under the new requirements set out by a new standard from The Joint Commission (TJC).