Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to start re-opening on Monday, allowing restaurants and retail in most counties to resume business with certain limitations to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Governors guidelines allow restaurants to open indoor seating at 50% capacity with six-foot distancing between tables and parties no larger than 10. It also allows for outdoor seating with appropriate social distancing.
Phase 1 Outline for Restaurants;
Bars, Pubs and Nightclubs
Bars, pubs, and nightclubs that derive at least 50 percent of sales from alcohol should remain closed.
Restaurants
Restaurants and food establishments should operate at no more than 50 percent capacity, with appropriate social distancing and a minimum of 6 feet separating parties, as the virus is most transmissible indoors under close sustained contact.
- Parties should not exceed 10 people. Businesses should limit inside waiting areas for patrons waiting to be seats.
- Businesses should thoroughly clean and disinfect all surfaces after each use.
- Businesses should consider a reservations-only business model or call-ahead seating to manage spacing in restaurant.
- Businesses should consider posting signs to remind staff and patrons of safety and sanitization protocols.
- Businesses should screen employees before work and should consider requiring employees to wear face masks or cloth face coverings while inside or within close proximity to members of the public.
- Bar areas should remain closed.
- Outdoor dining areas should be prioritized.
- Menus, if laminated, should be cleaned after each usage. Paper menus should be designed for single use and then disposed of immediately after use.
- Businesses should avoid cafeteria-style dining arrangements. If salad bars or buffets are permitted efforts to mitigate risk should include barriers to block virus spread from sneezes and coughs and service utensils should be handled by staff and/or washed frequently.
If you are an Owner or Operator working to re-open your facility you may want to review the “Initial Opening/Operating Guidance” guidelines and checklist! An excellent resource developed by the Florida Restaurant Association working with Industry Experts and covers reopening defined by the Federal Government and applied by State and Local Jurisdictions. Click here to review: FRLA Releases Re-Opening Guidance for Restaurants and Hotels
Re-opening your facility? If you are an owner operator and have been shut down for an extended period of time, Pentair Everpure has the following guidance for your water treatment system;
Filtration systems are designed to be operated on a continuous basis with only relatively short periods of down time (overnight and holidays). When a system is shut down for an extended period of time, there is a potential for microbiologic growth. To address concerns with system operation after the shutdown, please follow the below instructions. This is applicable to all Pentair filtration systems (i.e., pre-filters, carbon-based cartridges and Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems).
Periodic Flushing In cases where the customer knows that the system will be down for an extended time and is able to get to the system on a periodic basis, follow the below flushing procedure every 3-4 days:
Filtration Systems
Flush the system for a minimum of 5 minutes by letting the outlet water run to the drain. For systems with multiple outlet ports, flush for a minimum of 5 minutes through all ports.
RO Systems
Empty the tank through the outlet port until the pump turns on. Once the pump is on, flush the system for 10 minutes by letting the outlet water run to the drain. For systems with multiple outlet ports, flush through all ports.
Shutdown for Less Than or Equal to 7 Days:
Filtration Systems
When you put the system back into operation, flush the system for a minimum of 5 minutes by letting the outlet water run to the drain and then proceed with normal operations. For the systems with multiple outlet ports, flush for a minimum of 5 minutes through all ports.
RO Systems
When you put the system back into operation, empty the tank through the outlet port until the pump turns on. Once the pump is on, flush the system for 10 minutes by letting the outlet water run to the drain and then proceed with normal operations. For the systems with multiple outlet ports, flush for a minimum of 10 minutes through all ports.
Shutdown for Greater Than 7 Days:
All Systems (Filtration and RO)
Remove all existing filtration elements that are present in the system (pre-filters, carbon filters &/or RO cartridges) and dispose. Disinfect the system as instructed in the applicable Installation and Operations Guide for that specific system.
After the disinfection process is complete, replace the filtration elements with all new pre-filters, carbon filters &/or RO cartridges. Flush the system as instructed in the applicable IO Guide to complete the procedure.
Softeners
Initiate a manual regeneration.
Shutdown for Greater Than 30 Days:
Softeners
Disinfect per the Installation and Operation Guide for that specific unit. Generally speaking, it is adding some bleach to the brine tank before initiating a manual regeneration.
Assumptions
Pentair assumes the following in providing this guidance: Incoming water is potable.
There is no boil-water advisory or boil-water order issued by the applicable public health or governmental authority.
System is being maintained within normal operating temperature and other conditions as set forth in the applicable specification sheet.
If you have concerns or cannot confirm these assumptions for the system, follow the instructions above under the section entitled “Shutdown for Greater Than 7 Days”.
For more information or questions regarding your Pentair Everpure Water Treatment system please email us at info@filterpure.com or call us directly at 800-942-7873