Compliance Guide≤500 CFU/mL
How to Test Dental Unit Waterlines
How dental waterline testing works, what 500 CFU/mL means, how often to test, and what to do when a line fails.
ReadTools & TemplatesTemplate
Dental Waterline Testing Log and SOP Template
Use these printable templates to record waterline test results and document the practice's maintenance procedure.
By Shaylene — Dental AssistantReviewed by Michelle — Registered Dental HygienistUpdated Sources checked
The short version
Key takeaways
- Record results per operatory, not per practice. A practice-level average hides the single chair that keeps failing.
- Each entry should capture the date, the unit identifier, who performed the test, the result in CFU/mL, pass or fail, and the treatment product in use.
- Any failure needs two further entries: the remediation performed and the passing re-test that closed it out.
- Washington and Georgia both require waterline testing and maintenance records to be retained for five years; if your state has no stated period, five years is a reasonable default.
- A written SOP naming who performs each step and how often is what makes a protocol survive staff turnover.
How to Use These
What should a dental waterline testing log record?
For each test: the date, the operatory or unit identifier, who performed it, the result in CFU/mL, whether it passed, and the treatment product in use. For each failure: the remediation performed and the passing re-test that closed it out. Records should be kept per operatory rather than pooled into a practice average.
Both pages below print cleanly. The site navigation and this explanatory text drop away, leaving only the form. Print the log double-sided, keep it with your infection control records, and complete the SOP once for the practice.
Per Operatory, Not Per Practice
One row per unit per test. A practice-level average hides the single chair with a recurring problem.
Retention
Washington and Georgia both require waterline testing and maintenance records to be retained for five years. Where your state sets no period, five years is a reasonable default. Check what your state requires.
Dental Unit Waterline Testing Log
Practice
Location
Year
| Date | Operatory / unit | Performed by | Result (CFU/mL) | Pass / Fail | Treatment product & lot | Action taken | Re-test date & result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Any failed result must be closed out by a documented passing re-test. Record the treatment performed in “Action taken” and the outcome in the final column.
Waterline Maintenance SOP Template
FDA recommends that practices establish written standard operating procedures for waterline infection control. Complete one copy for the practice and keep it with your infection control manual. Name roles rather than individuals, so the procedure survives a change of staff.
- Daily treatment
- Who adds the treatment product, at what point in the day, and to which reservoirs, including spares.
- End of day
- Who purges the lines, and what happens to units that are out of service.
- Between patients
- Who discharges water and air lines, and for how long (FDA: a minimum of 20–30 seconds).
- Testing schedule
- Frequency, which units, individual or pooled sampling, and which lab or in-office method.
- Shock schedule
- Product, interval, and triggers outside the interval, such as a new protocol, failed test, extended disuse, or plumbing work.
- Response to a failed test
- Who is notified, what is done, when the re-test happens, and who signs it off.
- Records
- Where the log lives, who maintains it, and the retention period.
- Review
- Who reviews this procedure, how often, and the date it was last reviewed.
Prepared by / date
Reviewed by / date
This template is a starting point, not a compliance determination. Confirm the frequencies you enter against your treatment product’s instructions for use, your dental unit manufacturer’s instructions, and your state board’s rules.
Sources
- Best Practices for Dental Unit Water QualityCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · Published May 15, 2024 · Last checked August 9, 2026
- Dental Unit Water Quality: Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention White Paper and Recommendations (2018)Association for Dental Safety (formerly OSAP) · Published January 1, 2018 · Last checked August 9, 2026
- WAC 246-817-660: Water delivery systemsWashington State Legislature · Last checked August 13, 2026
- Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 150-8-.05: Dental Unit Water QualityGeorgia Secretary of State, Rules of the Georgia Board of Dentistry · Last checked August 13, 2026
Requirements vary by state and by equipment manufacturer. Always follow your dental unit and treatment product instructions for use, and confirm current rules with your state dental board.
Next step
A log is easier to keep when the protocol is simple
LineTab uses one tablet per reservoir refill, with no measuring or separate task and a visible sign that today's dose happened.