Water, Ice and Environmental Sanitation
What the exam tests
This domain tests potable water, ice safety, handwash facilities, drainage, sewage and general environmental sanitation in food premises.
Core rules
- Use potable water for drinking, cooking, ice, handwashing and cleaning food-contact surfaces.
- Ice is a food: make it from potable water, store it covered and separate from raw food, and handle it with a clean scoop, never hands.
- Protect water tanks from contamination; clean and maintain them; prevent backflow and cross-connections.
- Provide handwash basins with soap, potable water and single-use towels or hand dryers.
- Maintain drainage so wastewater does not pool; keep sewage and waste away from food areas.
- Keep floors, drains and waste areas clean to prevent pests and contamination.
Worked example
A stall uses ice to chill fish, then puts the same ice into a jug of drinking water. The ice has contacted fish juices and is now contaminated. Correct action: use separate ice for cooling and for drinks, or use sealed cooling packs. Discard ice that touched raw food.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming clear water is potable; it may contain pathogens or chemicals.
- Treating ice as packaging rather than food.
- Using a handwash basin for food preparation or utensil washing.
- Ignoring a dirty water tank because tap water looks clear.
- Letting wastewater pool near food storage.