Water, Plumbing, Waste, and Pest Management
Utilities and vectors
Water is an ingredient, a cleaning agent, and a contamination risk. Only potable water may contact food, food-contact surfaces, and utensils; if a private well is used, it must be tested and the results kept. Ice must be made from potable water and handled with a dedicated scoop, never a glass.
Plumbing questions hinge on cross-connections. Backflow is the reverse flow of contaminants into the potable supply, and it occurs by backsiphonage (negative pressure) or backpressure. The air gap is the best protection; a vacuum breaker, double check valve, or reduced-pressure principle backflow assembly suits other situations. Drains from equipment run indirectly to a floor sink or receptor with a visible air break; a direct connection is a violation. Handwashing sinks cannot be used for dumping mops or filling buckets, and a separate mop sink or curbed area is required.
Waste management means enough containers, tight-fitting lids, frequent removal, and outdoor storage areas kept clean and away from doors. Grease traps must be serviced. Sewage backup is an imminent health hazard: stop operations, close, and correct.
Pest management follows integrated pest management: exclude, deny food and water, monitor, and treat. Seal openings (a mouse can enter a gap of about a quarter inch), install screens, self-closing doors, and door sweeps, keep food elevated and stored in sealed containers, and address standing water. Pesticides must be approved for food establishments and applied so food, utensils, and surfaces are protected; routine spraying in food areas during operation is not acceptable. An infestation with evidence such as rodent droppings in food storage is an imminent health hazard.
Trap: confusing backflow with backsiphonage, or assuming any valve is as protective as an air gap.