Would you get on a plane that hadn’t undergone rigorous testing? Or drive a car that had never been crash tested? How about use a life jacket without a flotation guarantee? [Note: Ad or content links featured on this page are not necessarily affiliated with WQA and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by WQA.]
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Now consider this, would you want to drink water that has been treated with an uncertified water treatment device?
It is important for consumers to have the assurance that the water filtration and treatment products they use daily will do what the packaging advertises. More importantly, it is pertinent that the plumbing components used do not leach harmful contaminants into the water through simple contact.
But with an unlimited number of water treatment products out there, how do homeowners determine which products work as intended? How do moms know which products are safe for their families to use every day on their tap water?
The Water Quality Association (WQA) simplifies the selection of water treatment products with its Gold Seal Certification program. The program represents the oldest third party testing and certification program in the drinking water treatment industry. The seal is easy to recognize and lets consumers know, at a glance, which products are safe to use and perform as intended.
The program, in effect since 1959, allows manufacturers and suppliers to obtain certification for products that contact drinking water, including chemicals, plumbing components, filters, water softeners, coatings, faucets, reverse osmosis systems and more.
WQA’s certification program is fully accredited by the American Standards National Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Accreditation indicates the Certification Program is monitored by a third party organization to ensure that it is following all the rules and regulations for operating a trustworthy program. WQA issues a Gold Seal mark if the product meets the testing requirements of industry standards and the certified company meets WQA’s Gold Seal Program policies. Companies must re-test certified products on a regularly scheduled basis and are required to undergo annual facility inspections to ensure the products manufactured are identical to the products previously tested.
The Gold Seal guarantees two critical aspects of consumer safety. First, it ensures filtration and treatment systems perform as expected and deliver cleaner, safer water. Second, it ensures plumbing products used within the home are not hazardous to water quality. Products that maintain the Gold Seal certification undergo intense scrutiny including performance testing for each contaminant the product claims to reduce; quality assurance auditing at manufacturing sites to ensure product quality remains consistent; and testing of product materials to guarantee they do not leach contaminants into water over time.
Since 1959, WQA has tested and certified more than 10,000 products around the world. Homeowners can sift through the approximately 6,000 Gold Seal-certified products listed on the WQA site to find an appropriate water treatment system.
See also the WQA consumer video at: http://www.wqa.org/goldseal/movie/2010/wqa_wb/index.html.
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