Section 40. Milkhouse or milkroom; construction and facilities

Each person who operates a dairy farm shall:

1. Provide a milkhouse or milkroom of sufficient size in which the cooling, handling, and storing of milk and the washing, sanitizing, and storing of milk containers and utensils shall be conducted;

2. Provide (i) incandescent lighting fixtures of 100 watts or more capacity; or (ii) fluorescence lighting fixtures of 40 watts or more capacity in his milkhouse or milkroom; and (iii) lighting fixtures that are located near, but not directly above, any farm bulk milk tank if one is installed;

3. Provide sufficient light in the milkhouse or milkroom to illuminate the interior of each farm bulk milk tank installed on the dairy farm for inspection purposes. The person's lighting fixture for illuminating the interior of each farm bulk milk tank shall be either permanently installed or portable and battery operated;

4. Provide ventilation in his milkhouse or milkroom sufficient to prevent condensation from forming on the milkhouse ceiling or walls. No person who operates a dairy farm shall install vents in a milkhouse ceiling if the vents are located directly above any part of a farm bulk milk tank, wash vat, hand basin, equipment storage rack or floor drain. Each person who operates a dairy farm shall install only vents in a milkhouse ceiling that comply with the following:

a. Each vent shall be constructed to form a solid chimney between the milkhouse ceiling and the roof of the building so that there are no openings for dust, insects, birds, or other debris to enter the chimney and fall into the milkhouse or milkroom;

b. Each vent shall be screened at the top of the chimney after it exits the roof to prevent the entrance of insects and birds; and

c. Each vent shall be capped with a rainproof covering to prevent water and snow from falling down into the milkhouse or milkroom;

5. Not install a forced air heating or cooling vent directly over any farm bulk milk tank, wash vat, equipment storage rack, or hand basin;

6. Provide in his milkhouse or milkroom a water hose that complies with the following requirements:

a. The water hose shall be of sufficient length to reach all parts of the milkhouse;

b. The water hose shall be connected to a permanently mounted water valve; and

c. The water hose shall be equipped with facilities for storing the water hose above the floor;

7. Provide in his milkhouse or milkroom a separate, permanently installed hand-washing facility with hot and cold running water under pressure supplied through a mix valve, soap, and single service paper towels;

8. Provide only potable water under pressure in his milkhouse from a public or private supply properly developed, constructed, and maintained;

9. Store in his milk house or milk room the weighing and sampling receipt from each milk pickup for a minimum of the past 60 days if his milk is picked up by a bulk milk hauler; and

10. Sell his milk production only to a person who holds a milk plant permit issued by the state regulatory authority of Virginia or another state.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 21, Issue 08, eff. January 26, 2005.

Statutory Authority

§§ 3.2-5206, 3.2-5223, and 3.2-5224 of the Code of Virginia.