Why You Should Understand Water Treatment Systems Standards and Certifications

Usually, people first consider water treatment systems after noticing foul odors, taste, or scale buildup on water faucets. It can be pretty challenging to know the next step, especially with little knowledge about water treatment.

A certification group is an independent organization that has the duty of performing series of designated tests on water treatment devices, ensuring the equipment performs as advertised.

The three major certification bodies for water treatment systems are the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Water Quality Association (WQA), and the International Association of Plumbing and Manufacturing Officials (IAPMO). These water bodies have their specific certification standards for various water products. Suppose you already have a water treatment system installed in your home or consider getting one; it is best to understand water certification standards to ensure the system meets your needs.

In the 1950s, the National Science Foundation (NSF), a united states federal agency, was created to follow the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) strict standards. Common water treatment standards include;

This standard evaluates water qualities that are non-health related, especially factors that influence water’s taste, odor, and appearance.

This standard is specifically for water softeners. The standard creates baseline requirements for water hardness reduction, material safety, and capacity (amount of hardness to be removed before regeneration).

This standard is for water filtration equipment claiming to remove over 50% of water contaminants linked to health-related issues.

This standard ensures that certified reverse osmosis equipment follows its claims of reducing contaminants.

This standard is for reducing emerging contaminants that are likely to cause health problems

Like the NSF, the Gold Seal Certification Program measures water standards through the Water Quality Association (WQA). The WQA ensures products in their Gold Seal Program meet standards even after their initial certification by providing regular audits for such products. Common WQA standards include;

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has a laboratory testing unit that handles examining water treatment system products against water standards, including NSF/ANSI and WQA. IAPMO also tests and validates water treatment systems against its standards. IAMPO certifications also require ongoing, regular audits, just like other certification bodies. These audits are required for submission every three years.

Third-party certification gives you peace of mind and confidence because it tests your chosen product to ensure it meets and exceeds its acclaimed standards.

There are several available water treatment solutions, including whole-house systems for treating all the water in your home, water filters for treating specific areas like a kitchen faucet, and potable solutions like water pitchers or countertop filters. Some water treatment solutions can reduce just one contaminant, while some are capable of removing many contaminants.

The reverse osmosis system is the only NSF-certified system capable of reducing fluoride, nitrate, lead, and copper.

This system has the NSF 58 certification for reducing TDS. The reverse osmosis filtration technology has a filtration accuracy of 0.0001μm, and it is capable of effectively removing various water contaminants, including fluoride, TDS, limescale, and heavy metals. This system also has the NSF 372 certification as a lead-free material.

This system is the first smart RO system in the U.S market; it has composite filters and a tankless design. The three composite filters provide seven stages of filtration. Also, the pre-sediment and carbon block filter is a 3-in-1 filter functioning as a combination of three filters. In addition, the activated carbon block filter improves water taste through its high-precision activated carbon granules, which are from natural coconut shells.

Using the new composite filter element technology can efficiently filter out harmful substances from water. Furthermore, the tankless design is suitable for avoiding secondary pollution and providing more storage space in your kitchen.

Although the carbon sediment filter 20 system has three stages, it is only available in two cartridge styles. The two stages of the whole house sediment filters can eliminate the same contaminants. The filters have a 4 to 6 months guarantee of removing rust, clay particles, small pieces of organic matter, and sand grains.

In addition, the filters simplify the work for the next activated carbon cartridge, which then adsorbs volatile organic chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, and halogens.

This reverse osmosis system provides maximum filtration, reducing up to 99% of 88 harmful water contaminants, including lead, fluoride, asbestos, mercury, chromium, pesticides, chlorine, and pharmaceuticals. This RO system also helps with remineralization; it returns healthy minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium lost in the reverse osmosis process.

The carbon and claryum filters can last about six months or 365 gallons. In addition, the RO membrane and remineralizer can last up to 12 months. The annual replacement cost of the filter is about $220 or less. Also, the whole system is NSF certified for standards 42, 53, 58, and 401 + P473

Water system certifications test the systems to certify that they perform as the manufacturer advertises. There are various water system certifying bodies. Before purchasing a water treatment system, it is best to check their standards to meet your needs.

It is best to purchase certified water systems because they give you confidence and peace of mind.