Ground Service Providers Water Barrier Filters Drop In The ATA 103 standard for jet fuel quality control has been updated to allow for the use of new water barrier filters and to phase out filters utilizing super absorbent polymers (SAP). BY WALKER JAROCH N ear the beginning of the year, Airlines for America (A4A) updated its ATA 103 standard for jet fuel quality control to allow for the use of water barrier filters and phase out filters utilizing super absorbent polymers (SAP). A4A's update and the need to eliminate filter monitors containing SAP comes from several incidents where the material was found to be the cause of inoperability in aircraft fuel systems. " Between 2010 and 2017 there were eight documented incidents in which SAP was identified as the cause of operability issues within aircraft fuel systems, " says Steve Berry, manager of fuel quality and safety, National Air Transportation Association (NATA). " Filters are supposed to be filtering out contaminants, not adding to it, " he continues. " And then the decision was made that we need to phase them out. And then that started the process of looking for replacement technology. " The decision to phase out filter monitors began in 2017 and required a drop-in replacement given how ubiquitous they are in the industry. Estimates at the time, Berry says, showed around 85 percent of all aviation fuel filtration worldwide was filter monitors. A differential pressure gauge. 26 || Ground Support Worldwide || May 2022 Dropping In The new replacement technology to SAP - water barrier filters - has been developed by Parker Velcon and does just as the name suggests, repels water as opposed to absorbing it. NATA