Supervised by the Japan Water Research Center Foundation

Provisions for
Certification of Modules for Drinking Water Use

6th Version

Constituted: Mar. 2000
6th Revision: May 2010

The Association of Membrane Separation Technology of Japan

1

Contents
1. Provisions for certification of modules for drinking water use
・・・・・ 3
2. AMST-001: Standards for MF and UF modules for drinking
water use
・・・・・ 20
3. AMST-001: Interpretations of the standards for MF and UF
modules for drinking water use
・・・・・ 34
4. References
11.1 Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No.15, 2000;"Technical Criterion for Water Utility, and its final revision (Abbr:
Water Utility Criterion)"
Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No.26, on Mar. 6, 2009
(Abstract)
Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No.18, on Feb. 17, 2010
(Abstract)11.2 Ministry of Health and Welfare Notification, No. 45, 2000 and
Notification, No.14, 2002; "Evaluation Test Methods of Equipments
and Materials"

2

1. Provisions for certification of modules
for drinking water use

3

Provisions for certification of modules
for drinking water use(Object)
Art. 1.

The provision intends to determine necessary procedures forcertification of modules that are suitable and applicable for drinking
water use with sufficient performance and capability.
Association of Membrane Separation Technology, Japan (AMST,
hereafter) examines application(s) submitted by an applicant (amodule supplier or a seller, etc.) whether its performance and qualities
conform to the requirements of the provision, above. When therequirements are conformed, AMST issues a written certification andlabels on demand of the applicant. At the same time, AMST discloses
the information on the certification to public, especially to water
utilities market.

(Subject matter of the certification)
Art. 2 Subject of the provision is membrane module to be used in drinking
water utilities.
(Certification Committee of Modules for Drinking Water Use)
Art. 3. Scheme and activities of the "Certification Committee of Modules for
Drinking Water Use" (the Certification Committee, hereafter) are as
follows:
1) By an assignment of Executive Director of the AMST (Executive
Director, hereafter), the certification committee examines quality
and performance of applied modules, based on the standards(AMST-001, AMST-002, AMST-003 and AMST-004) for drinking
water use.
2) The committee is organized by 8 members.
3) The certification committee members vote mutually and select achairman of the committee.
The chairman nominates a vice-chairman.
Note: the chairman of the "Chairman of the Membrane Water
Purification Committee" can not be the chairman of the certificationcommittee, at the same time.
4) The certification committee meets 4-times a year, principally.
Schedule of the meeting is disclosed in the Home Page of the AMST.

4

(Appointment of the certification committee members)Art. 4. Method to appoint of the certification committee members, is asfollows:
1) Working term of the member is 6-years.
The chairman of the membrane water purification committee
recruits candidates from his committee members and replaces older
members of the certification committee, openly, at the beginning ofeach fiscal year,2) The chairman asks qualification of the candidates to the steeringcommittee.
3) The membrane water purification committee nominates the candidates
when no applicant was available, the steering committee rejected
the candidates and more than three applicants were available.
Conditions of the nomination are; a person from a member company
and no continuous renomination.
4) When a member of the committee resigns during his term, the vacancy
can be filled recruiting a candidate openly. The term for the newmember is that of the old member.
5) The applicant submits an application letter with his personal history
to the chairman of the membrane water purification committee.
(Requirements for the committee member)Art. 5 The selected certification committee member should have sufficientknowledge and experiences on development of membrane, membrane
production, membrane evaluation and module applications.
The member should keep fair and unbiased stand-point for his examinationand certification works.
2) The selected member should submit a written oath (Format 7) on duty ofsecrecy to the chairman.
(Supervision)
Art. 6. The MWP Committee nominates 2 or 3 supervisors under an agreementof the steering committee.
2) The supervisors audit the examination works of the certificationcommittee at fair and unbiased stand-point and advice, if needed.
3) Number of the supervisor is 2-3.
4) Office term of the supervisor lasts 2 years, commencing April 1st. andending March 31st. of the year after the next year.

5(Filing of examination)
Art. 7. Applicant can file an application format (Format 1: Application format
for examination of Membrane module for drinking water use), fulfilledwith necessary items.
2) The executive director of the AMST issues a receipt (Format 2, Receipt,
hereafter) with a reception number to the applicant.
(Commission fee)
Art. 8. The applicant is requested to pay examination, certification fee
and expense for issuing certification document. The fee and expense aredecided in other part of the Provisions.
(Examination)
Art. 9. The certification committee examines conformity of the applied
module by documents, nominated in the Art. 7. The Committee canrequest additional explanations to the applicant.
2) The Committee convenes an examination meeting and examines the
Applications submitted to the AMST by the end of the previous month.
3) The meeting in the previous paragraph can be substituted with adocument-only-examination, if all of members agree and theapplication is related to a trifle change of characteristics of alreadycertificated module.
(Rights for observation of the examination meeting)
Art. 10: Employee of a member company of the AMST can observe the meeting
and/or the meeting record.
2) A written request for the observation should be submitted to thechairman of the certification committee by the end of the previous
month of the meeting.
Number of access person is maximum 3, at a first-come basis.
Any of the applicant's employees is not allowed to observe when themeeting is examining an application to which the accessor relates.
3) Those who want to observe should submit a document (Format 8,
Confidentiality) to the chairman of the certification committee.
(Certification)
Art. 11: The executive director issues the certification documents (Format 5
and/or 6) after the conclusion of the examination meeting and delivers6to the applicant.
(Publication)
Art. 12: The executive director discloses the result of the examination to the
JWRC and media for water facility industry.
(Revision and review of the standards)
Art. 13: MWP-committee organizes a standards revision committee(SR-Committee, hereafter) within its organization.
2) The SR-committee watches progress and change of the membrane
technology and relating regulations. And it revises, as soon as possible,
corresponding standards, if necessary.

3) Those member companies who retain the certifications under thesestandards should control their modules within a nominated term tofollow the movements in this clause 2.
(Cancellation of the certification)
Art. 14: The executive director can cancel and invalidate any of certificationsof related module(s), when the application document(s) on the Art. 7 ofhave found to contain any falsity.
2) The chairman of the certification committee watches the change by theabove Art. 13, alarts to related member companies for the matter after a
discussion in the certification committee and advises the executive director
on cancelation of the certification, if necessary.
3) The member or applicant company can do explanation or submit
documentation within a certain term to the executive director, when thecancellation is considered after the Art. 14 clause 1 and/or 2.
4) The applicant company and/or the certification-owner company should
return the certification document back to the executive director, soon after
the cancellation of the certification based on the Art. 14-1 or -2.
5) The executive director informs the fact of the cancellation to the JWRC
and publicates the same on media for water facility industry.

(Discipline)
Art. 15: The executive director issues disciplinary action against thecommittee member, the supervisor, the record or meeting observer, if
he/they violate the confidentiality code.

7

(Invalidation of the former provisions)Art. 16: The following documents are invalid after/including July 1st , 2010:"Standards for Membrane Module for Drinking Water Use" in "Provisions
for Certification of Modules for Drinking Water Use, Version 5, dated May
15, 2009"(Supplementary provision)
Art. 17: MWP Committee is responsible for the future-revision or amendment of
this provision under approval of the steering committee.
2) MWP committee will solve "unknown cases" or "doubts in interpretation"of this provision, in its meeting.
3) This provision is valid after (and including) July 1st, 2010.

8

Format 1.
Application Form for Certification of Membrane Module
for Drinking Water Use(New, Modification, Supplement)
Date: M/D/Y
Mr.
Executive Director of AMST, Japan
Name of Applicant:Address:
Name of Representative:
Signature:We, hereby, duly ask Certification of our product; referring to the Art. 7 of the"Provision for Certification of Membrane Module for Drinking Water Use", asfollows:
Plant namePlant location
Name of module
Type of module
Standard to be referred

AMST-

Explanation documents

Attached (1)Transcripts of tests

Attached (2)Language request on certification□

Person in charge:
Name
Address
Belongings and position
Telephone No.
Facsimile No.
E-mail9Japanese□

EnglishFormat 2
Date: M/D/Y

Reception of Application Form for
Certification of Membrane Module for
Drinking Water Use

Applicant:Company name:
Representative: Mr.
ASTM, Japan
Executive Director
We have duly accepted your application on certification of
membrane module for drinking water use, dated; M/D/Y.
1. Name & type of membrane module:
2. Date of acception: M/D/Y
3. Acception number: 膜モ認

Note:You are kindly requested to pay examination fee on the billing statement
enclosed.
No fee will be refund, even if the examination was unsuccessful.
Bill on certification fee will be issued when certification has beenregistered.

10

Accompanying documents to the Application Form for Certification of
Membrane Module for Drinking Water Use
1. Number of accompanying documents: One (1) book binded, A4 size andelectronic media by PDF.
2. Language: Application form and accompanying documents are limited toJapanese.
3. Attach following documents to the Application Form.
Standard Formats are available for the accompanying documents:(1) "Document to explain the membrane module" and(2) "Transcripts of tests".
Use the Format 1a) ~ 1d) and Format 4; "Certification of sampling
and analyzing"
Further, use Format 3; "Check sheet" for completeness of the application
and attach the check sheet of the application.

*Standard formats, Format 1a) ~ 1d), Format 3 and 4 are available
in a separate file.

11Format 3
Check List (1/2) on Accompanying Documents
Applied standard

AMST-001 AMST-002 AMST-003

0．Cover

AMST-004

□

□

□

□

Type of module

□

□

□

□

Filtration mode

□

□

□

□

With or without vessel

□

□

□

□

Niorminal pore size/M.W.cut off ,Measurement method / conditions□

１．Information for membrane module (Attached document 1)
1.1 Specification of membrane module□

1.2 Explaqnation of objective module
Drawing of the outer shape
Drawing of the structure (include flow directionof liquid and air inside the module, shelingmethod)

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

Name of materials

□

□

□

□

Nominal membrane area

□

□

□

□

Drawing of the outer shape
Drawing of the structure (include flow directionof liquid and air inside the module, shelingmethod)Name of materials

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

Nominal membrane area

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

1.3 Explanation of model module

2. Test result of each test (Attched document 2)
2.1 Flow diagram of test unit
2.2 Procedure of each test
Filtration capacity

□

□

□

□

Temperature of feed water

□

□

□

□

Pressure of feed water , Trans-membrane pressure

□

□

□

□

Sodiumchloride

Quality of feed water□
Filtration time

Rejection
Temperature of feed water

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

Turbidity

Sodiumchloride

Sodiumchloride

Cryptosporidium parvum

□

□

□

□

Pressure of feed water , Trans-membrane pressure

□

□

□

□

Filtration flux or filtration flow rate

□

□

□

□

Filtration time

□

□

□

□

Microbe rejection

□

□

□

Bacteria concentration in the feed water

□

□

□

Temperature of feed water

□

□

□

Filtration time

□

□

□

Pressure of feed water , Trans-membrane pressure

□

□

□

Pressure of feed water , Trans-membrane pressure

□

□

□

Repeated measurement

□

□

□

Quality of feed water

12

Oocyst substitute tracerCheck List (2/2) on Accompanying Documents
Applied standard

AMST-001 AMST-002 AMST-003

Elution test

AMST-004

□

□

□

□

Wetting / conditioning

□

□

□

□

Purified water quality (conductivety, etc.)

□

□

□

□

Eluent water quality (pH, hardness, alkalinity, etc.)

□

□

□

□

Elution temperature

□

□

□

□

Elution time

□

□

□

□

Location of eluate sampling, date, person who sampled(Format 4. Certification of sampling and analyzing)

□

□

□

□

Transcripts of tests by the Registered Analyzing
Organization

□

□

□

□

Pressure resistance

□

□

□

□

Test conditions

□

□

□

□

Pressurizing term

□

□

□

□

Max. size module

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

Turbidity

Sodiumchloride

Sodiumchloride

Cryptosporidium parvum

□

□

□

□

Microbe rejection

□

□

□

Elution test

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

2.3 Test results report
Filtration capacity
Temp. / Press. Compensation

Rejection

Transcripts of tests by the Registered Analyzing
Organization
Sampling of eluate (Format 4. Certification of sampling
and analyzing)

Oocyst substitute tracer

□

□

□

□

Normalization of analytical data

□

□

□

□

Analyzing method

□

□

□

□

Pressure resistance

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

□

3. Structure13Format 4

Certification of sampling and analyzing
Date: M/D/Y

ASTM, Japan
Committee of Modules for Drinking Water Use
Chairman: Mr.

Analytical Organization
We certificate following items were duly carried out.
1.Sample

Extract solution

2.Location of sampling

Address & company name

3. Date of sampling

4.Person in
chargeName
Position

14

Format 5
Certification of Membrane Module Conforming to Standards (AMST-)

for Drinking Water Use

Name of membrane module:Type of membrane module:
Name of Applicant:Address:
The module mentioned above was examined in the Committee ofModules for Drinking Water Use, AMST.
The Committee agrees that the module is conforming with Standards,
AMST-○.

Certification number: 膜モ認第○○○○Standards applied to: AMST-○○○ (Version-6)

Date: M/D/Y
Association of Membrane Separation
Technology, Japan
Executive Director:

15

Format 6

Certificate on Membrane Module Standards
for Drinking Water Use
Name of membrane module:○○○○Type of membrane module:○○○○

Name of the applicant:○○○○Address of the applicant:○○○○

The Evaluation Committee for Drinking Water Membrane Module hasstudied the applicability of the above membrane module product against thestandards related to the Membrane Module Criteria, and judged that theabove-mentioned product meets its criteria. Accordingly, the committee hereby
certifies that the above-mentioned product is complying with the requirements ofthe standards.

Approved number: 膜モ認第○○○○Standards applied to: AMST-○○○ (Issue 6)

Date:○○○○The Association of Membrane Separation Technologyof JapanThe

Evaluation

Committee

forDrinking

Water

Membrane Module
President

16(Sign)

Format 7
To: Chairman of Membrane Water Purification Committee(AMST)

CovenantI, hereby, oath that I will not disclose nor divulge those information which I
could know through activities of the Certification Committee of Modules for
Drinking Water Use to any third party
Date: M/D/Y
Company name and Position:
Telephone No.:e-mail:Registered residence address:
Name and signature:

Association of Membrane Separation Technology, Japan

ChairmanCommittee
Mr.

of

the

Membrane

17

Water

Purification

Format 8
To: Chairman of Membrane Water Purification Committee(AMST)

CovenantI, hereby, oath that I will not disclose nor divulge those information which I
could know through reading the note and/or attending the meeting of theCertification Committee of Modules for Drinking Water Use to any third party
Date: M/D/Y

Company name and Position:
Telephone No.:
E-mail:Residence address:
Name and signature:

Association of Membrane Separation Technology, Japan

Chairman of the Certification Committee of Module for Drinking
Water Use
Mr.

18

Interpretation on the position of AMST on the Certification, based onthe "Provisions for Certification of Modules for Drinking Water Use"
1. The certification document issued by AMST certifies that all evaluation
data on the module, submitted by the applicant to us, are conforming to therequirements of the provision but not guarantees performance and qualityof the product.

2. AMST owes no responsibility to any of quotation or application ofthis AMST-001 Standards for other application fields than Drinking
Water Use, whole or partially.
3. Addition or improvement of the issued certification
1) One can request modification of the issued certification (with revised new
AMST-○ or additional new type number(s)) when:(1) The issued module is correspondent to any new water quality
requirements by the government and,
(2) An additional module type, with same module name, structure andmaterial, is placed in the market.
2) One can request modification of the issued certification only when alterationof module is trifle one and does not include change of membrane material,
membrane area, structure, etc.
The module with modified certification can not use same product name norsame product type number as before.
4. Where to call
Postal code: 103-0004
Address:

TS BLD. 2 FL., 3-12-11 Higashi-nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo,

Name:

Association of Membrane Separation Technology, JapanTel:+81-3-6712-0191

e-mail:info@amst.gr.jp

Facsimile: +81-3-6712-0192

Business time: Tuesday, Thursday. 10.00～17.00
Holiday)

19(Closed on National2. AMST-001
Standard of MF and UF modules for Drinking Water Use20

2. AMST-001
Standards of MF and UF-modules for Drinking Water Use

1. Scope of applications
The standards are applied to MF modules and UF modules fordrinking water use.
2. Definition of terms
Definitions of terms, used in the standards, are as follows, and depend on thereference documents nominated below:(1) Objective module: i.e. Module to be examined and certified(2) Model module: Module prepared for quality and performance
examination test only and conforms to conditions (1), (2), (3) and (4) in §5.1.1-2)(3) A/V ratio: Nominal membrane Area / Eluent Volume(4) Reference Documents* Drinking Water Filtration Method Membrane Dictionary1 (Japan
Water Research Center, revised version, Mar. 2003)* Ministry of Health and Welfare Ordinance No.15 (2000) and its final
revision; "Technical criterion for water utility (Abbr: Water utility
criterion)"* Ministry of Health and Welfare Notification No.45 (2000) "Evaluation
test methods of equipments and materials (Abbr: Elution test)"* Water Purification Technology Guide Line (JWRC, 2000)

3. Performance and quality
3.1 Flux
Water flux of the membrane is more than 0.5m3/m 2/d, when tested underconditions given in §5.2 Water filtration test.
3.2 Turbidity rejection
Turbidity of the filtrate sample is less (and including) than 0.05 deg., whentested under conditions given in §5.3, Turbidity challenge test.
3.3 Bacteria rejection
Number of colony is less (and including) than 10 CFU/mL, when tested under21

conditions given in §5.4 Bacteria challenge test.
3.4 Eluates
All difference values between analytical data and control data conform tofigures given in Table 1-1, when tested following to §5.5 Material test.
In the case of a model module was used for the test, normalization of data areneeded, by methods shown in § 5.5.7 and follow to the rule above.

3.5 Pressure resistanceNo leak and/or no other abnormalities, when tested following §5.6

Pressure test.
4. Structure
Module structure meets following requirements, at minimum.
(1) No break, nor deform of vessel and no membrane break, easily(2) No short pass between primary and secondary side of the membrane(3) Easy cleaning and easy drain-out of waste water
5. Test methods

22