PSC L046

PSC L046 — Technical Representative — Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment

Overview

The Product Service Code (PSC) system is the federal taxonomy used to classify what the U.S. Government buys; PSCs are recorded in FPDS and SAM to enable standardized reporting, spend analysis, and acquisition oversight. The Product and Service Code Manual on Acquisition.gov is the authoritative registry and governance source for PSC definitions, category groupings, and updates. ¹

PSC L046 — Technical Representative‑ Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment — covers vendor or manufacturer technical‑representation services that support water‑purification and sewage‑treatment equipment. Typical activities include factory or vendor technical representation, field technical support, equipment/application expertise, and onsite performance verification tied to treatment equipment. L046 is a Category L service code and is grouped in the PSC Manual with related product PSCs for water‑purification and sewage‑treatment hardware. ¹

What this PSC covers

• Vendor technical‑representation services for water‑purification equipment, including factory or manufacturer field representatives. ¹
• Field troubleshooting, diagnostics, and onsite technical support for sewage‑treatment systems. ¹
• Performance verification, operational acceptance support, and demonstration of equipment capability. ¹
• Product‑application advice, configuration guidance, and coordination with manufacturers for repairs, parts, and warranty issues. ¹
• Advisory support during procurement, installation planning, or major retrofit activities when the primary deliverable is technical representation rather than installation labor or the sale of equipment. ¹

Related PSC codes

Type | Code | Descriptor

• | - | - PSC | 4610 | Water Purification Equipment (product group listed in the PSC Manual).
  PSC | 4630 | Sewage Treatment Equipment (product group listed in the PSC Manual).
  PSC | N046 | Installation of Equipment — Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment (Category N installation code).

Codes and groupings are defined in the PSC Manual; see the L‑category service listing for L046 and the associated product PSC groupings. ¹

How agencies typically apply L046 in practice

Agencies assign PSC L046 when the predominant contract or purchase order deliverable is technical‑representation services for water‑purification or sewage‑treatment equipment rather than the sale of hardware. FPDS guidance requires the PSC selected to represent the predominant product or service on the award; if the primary spend is equipment, use the applicable product PSC (for example, 4610 or 4630), but if the primary spend is vendor technical‑representation labor, select L046. ²

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What activities qualify for PSC L046?
  A: Activities that qualify are vendor or manufacturer technical‑representation services supporting water‑purification and sewage‑treatment equipment—onsite technical support, product application guidance, acceptance testing, and vendor field representation. Product sales should be reported under the appropriate product PSC such as 4610. ¹

• Q: Should installation work be coded L046?
  A: No. Installation actions are reported under Category N installation codes; when installation of water or sewage equipment is predominant, use N046. ¹

• Q: How do agencies report an award that includes both equipment and technical‑representation labor?
  A: FPDS requires the PSC that represents the predominant spend on the award. If equipment is the majority of contract value, use a product PSC such as 4610 or 4630; if technical representation is predominant, use L046. ²

• Q: Where is the official definition of L046 published?
  A: The authoritative definition and the PSC listing are published in the Product and Service Code Manual on Acquisition.gov. See the L‑category service listing for details. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — PSC L046 page: https://app.g2xchange.com/psc/L046
• Product and Service Code Manual (Acquisition.gov). ¹
• FPDS glossary and award‑coding guidance (FPDS). ²

References

1. Product and Service Code Manual, Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Code Manual (PSC Manual) page. https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual

2. FPDS-NG Help — Glossary and FPDS data element guidance. https://www.fpds.gov/help_V1_1/Glossary.htm

Overview

PSC L046 classifies vendor or manufacturer technical‑representation services tied to water‑purification and sewage‑treatment equipment — for example, factory field representatives, onsite troubleshooting, performance verification, and application/configuration advice. This code is a Category L service code in the Product and Service Code Manual and is intended to be used when the predominantly procured deliverable is technical representation rather than the sale of equipment or an installation contract. Agencies should choose the PSC that best represents the predominant contract supply or service on the award; the PSC Manual is the authoritative listing for L‑category service codes and related product groupings. [1]

Related NAICS and PSC codes

The PSC Manual groups L046 with product PSCs for water‑purification and sewage‑treatment hardware but does not prescribe direct NAICS mappings for L046; agencies commonly pair L046 with the product PSCs or with NAICS codes that reflect the broader work scope. Not specified by official sources [1].

Type | Code | Descriptor

• | - | - PSC | 4610 | Water Purification Equipment (product PSC group commonly associated with equipment procurements where hardware, not technical representation, is predominant). [1] PSC | 4630 | Sewage Treatment Equipment (product PSC group for hardware-focused purchases). [1] PSC | N046 | Installation of Equipment — Water Purification and Sewage Treatment Equipment (Category N installation code; use when installation labor is predominant). [1] NAICS | 541620 | Environmental Consulting Services — often used for environmental engineering, testing, and technical advisory work that can accompany treatment‑system procurements; the PSC Manual does not explicitly map L046 to NAICS. Not specified by official sources [1].
  NAICS | 238220 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air‑Conditioning Contractors — used when installation or contractor trade work is predominant; installation activities themselves are reported under N‑category PSCs. Not specified by official sources [1].
  NAICS | 237110 | Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction — used for construction scopes that include treatment works; consult FPDS guidance to determine predominant spend for proper PSC/NAICS pairing. Not specified by official sources [1].

Agencies should select the PSC and NAICS that represent the predominant work and dollar value of the award; for authoritative PSC definitions and L‑category listings consult the Product and Service Code Manual. [1]