Are you confused with the “promising” claims made by the different water purifier manufacturers? The independent organizations that test and certify water systems are the WQA and the NSF. We can help you understand about these prestigious WQA/NSF certification for water purifiers and why you should completely trust a product that carries this certification. We will also cover the best whole home water systems that are WQA/NSF certificate compliant.
The Water Quality Association (WQA)
The WQA is a trade association situated in Illinois in the United States and represents more than 2500 residential, commercial, industrial, and small community water treatment industries in the United States and the rest of the world. The Association is involved in the research and funding initiatives for improving water quality worldwide.
NSF International (NSF)
National Sanitization Foundation, abbreviated as NSF International or commonly known as NSF, is a product testing, inspection, and certification organization situated in Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. It was founded by the University of Michigan’s public health school to standardize the sanitation and food safety requirements. Some of its services include GFSI, ACC, MSC certifications, and so on.
WQA/NSF Certification: The Collaboration
WQA and NSF’s recent collaboration was with a vision to keep the interests of various customers worldwide intact. Here is why this collaboration is a win-win for all:
- Pursuing the common, shared goals of both the organizations about advanced science, safety, public health, and water quality.
- Utilizing the knowledge and experience of over 70 years to develop standards and certifying products with scientific and technical expertise to help protect and improve human health worldwide.
- Working within the drinking water industry, both the organizations will be addressing the issues related to water quality degradation due to contaminants.
- Will involve working with the government and developing new standards. This will ensure that the quality of drinking water for citizens worldwide can be improved.Â
WQA Certification Standard
As a customer, you should be aware of the following pointers to know what does the WQA tested purifier means
- The purifier has a gold seal certificate, reassuring the fact that it is manufactured using the safest materials.
- The seal also confirms that the listed claims are backed by test data and are present in the product documents.
- Be assured of the chemical performance of the purifier, i.e., the measurement of its contaminant reduction capabilities.
- Be assured of the product’s structural integrity, i.e., ten years of general household use.
The above-mentioned pointers confirm that the product complies with WQA’s code of ethics, and all the claims made to the customer are valid and holds true.
NSF Certification Standard
NSF Certification on the purifier is a testimony to the following
- The product carries an NSF mark.
- There is a special code marked along with the numbers. An example could be NSF/ANSI 53 or NSF/ANSI 42.
- These marks and numbers help the customer identify the standards up to which the product is certified.
- NSF makes sure that the claims it makes are accurate and the entire home water system is good enough to filter and remove the set of contaminants.
By now, you must have understood the key points to be paid attention to, what are WQA/NSF certification, and their relevance.
 Whole-Home Water Filters
Whole-home water filters are the most common type of water filters and that treat the water right at its entry point in your home.
The most common types of these filters are –
- Water Softeners
- UV Water purifiers
- Carbon filters
The best feature of the whole home water purifiers is that it can filter water depending upon its type or the source. For example, the purification process for supply water from the well may consist of several stages, namely
- The stage of water softening.
- Removal of the debris.
- Disinfection of the water at the inlet.
This also concludes that in this case, the water purification system should have a mechanical sediment filter, a softener, and an ultraviolet system.
Likewise, the arrangement would be different for the water purification procedure of an entire city where the primary requirement is to get rid of the sediments and other contaminants such as chlorine or chloramine.
Kinetico Water Systems of SWFL
Water purifiers from Kinetico Water Systems assure you of the highest quality and contaminant-free water. With proper WQA/NSF certifications as discussed in detail in this blog, the Kinetico water systems are at par with the global safety standards. We also offer free home water analysis services to assist you in making the right choice for your water treatment.