Water quality as a regional approach

Across the country, water quality challenges vary dramatically, shaped by everything from geology to infrastructure to climate. For distributors, ignoring these regional nuances can mean stocking the wrong products, giving contractors poor advice, and ultimately missing out on trust and sales. On the flip side, understanding local water conditions gives forward-thinking wholesalers a distinct competitive edge — one that can drive smarter inventory decisions, closer contractor relationships, and better end-user outcomes. Supply House Times sat down with two experts from the Water Quality Association (WQA) — Eric Yeggy, WQA Technical Affairs Director and Bryanna Poczateck, WQA Technical Affairs Manager — to gain a pulse for what PHCP-PVF distributors need to know about water quality regionality.

How would you describe the biggest misconception about water quality in the U.S.?

Here are some common misconceptions that we run into, listed in no particular order:

Myth: Drinking alkaline water will help neutralize acidity in your blood steam. This is not true, your body strictly regulates the pH of your blood through a process called homeostasis. Drinking alkaline water will not impact the way your body regulates pH.

Myth: The reject water from an under-counter RO system contains concentrated chemicals that can poison your septic system. RO systems do not add any chemicals to the water. There will be no measurable difference in the amount of any specific chemical entering your septic system with, or without, an under-counter RO system installed. Only large scale industrial RO systems are capable of creating a hazardous waste stream.

Myth: The regeneration discharge from a water softener should not be sent to your septic system. Studies have shown that the regeneration discharge from a properly configured water softener will have no detrimental impact on a septic system, and in some cases, it may improve the performance of the septic system.

Myth: RO water is unhealthy for you because the minerals have been removed. Most of the vitamins and minerals your body utilizes come from a healthy diet, not from your drinking water. RO is a proven technology that can be configured to remove a very broad range of contaminants, including organics, inorganics, metals and even microbial contaminants. This misleading claim that RO water is unhealthy, as measured by low total dissolved solids (TDS) levels, is sometimes used by companies who are attempting to market a competing technology.

Myth: A water softener will make your water corrosive, destroying the plumbing and fixtures in your home. This misconception stems from people’s experience with groundwater sources that are naturally soft but in fact are corrosive. A water softener does not create the same corrosive water chemistry. A water softener simply removes undesirable elements in the water that damage pipes, fittings and water appliances and exchanges them with other ions that do not cause these harmful effects. Studies by the EPA and other reputable organizations have shown that water softeners do not make the water corrosive.

Myth: A “salt-free water softener” provides the same benefits as a cation-exchange water softener. While some salt-free water treatment devices may provide tangible benefits, customers should not expect them to provide all the same benefits as a water softener. For this reason, the WQA Code of Ethics prevents water treatment companies from attempting to market these devices to a customer as a “water softener.” Look for third-party certifications to help understand what water treatment devices will do, as well as independent scientific studies which have examined the benefits of various treatment technologies.

Myth: Compliance to a national standard is the same as certification to a national standard. First-party “certification” is when a manufacturer does their own evaluation of the products they are selling to evaluate compliance with national standards. A typical first-party marketing claim might say something like “complies with ANSI standards.”

There are several organizations accredited in the U.S. and Canada to provide independent third-party certification of water treatment devices against national standards. Third-party certifications provide additional peace-of-mind that the product meets national standards for things like safety, durability and performance. The identity of the third-party certifier will be disclosed on the product or packaging, and customers can visit that certification body’s website to verify that the certification is current and to see the scope of the certification. WQA certifications can be found at wqa.org.

What trends are you seeing in the way contractors and consumers respond to water quality concerns — and how can distributors better support them?

Distributors can get a good sense of consumer perspectives and concerns through WQA’s biannual consumer opinion study. Currently the 2023 report is available, but the 2025 report will be released by mid-August.

In recent years, there’s been a shift in behavior driven by growing awareness of water quality issues and water quality concerns in the news. Several key trends have emerged, according to the 2023 WQA Consumer Opinion Study.

Consumers are more educated than ever, thanks in part to greater media coverage of PFAS, lead, nitrates, and other contaminants.

• Awareness of PFAS has jumped from 10% in 2021 to 23% in 2023, and is likely even higher now
• Consumers are more concerned about the quality of their water supply
• In 2023, one-fifth (20%) thought their drinking water was unsafe versus 15% in 2021.
• General awareness of various water treatment options has increased over the past couple of years, as well as knowledge regarding certification standards
• Eco and Cost Concerns: Consumers and more concerned about cost, water savings, and choosing environmentally friendly “green” options.

Can you break down the most common water quality concerns by region or water source (e.g., municipal vs. well water)? Are there any regional concerns that are often overlooked by wholesalers?

No, water quality concerns will differ locally due to many factors. Contaminants commonly found in private wells will differ from those commonly found in public water supplies. For example, bacteria, nitrates and pesticides can contaminate private wells if the well is not sealed properly, while arsenic and radiological contaminants might be naturally occurring in the geology of the aquifer. Lead contamination is often caused by materials that come in contact with the water while it travels from the source to your glass, such as pumps, pipes, fittings or even faucets. Disinfection byproducts are a result of chemical reactions with a disinfectant agent that has been added to the water to kill bacteria.

If you are on a public water supply, consult the Consumer Confidence Report. People on a private well can contact their local county or state health department to get more information about contaminants that are commonly found in their area.

What kinds of products are typically most effective in areas with high [iron/sulfur/nitrates/etc.]?

The effectiveness of water treatment solutions for contaminants like iron, sulfur, and nitrates depends on the specific water chemistry, concentrations of the contaminants in the water, etc. These three contaminants can be very challenging to deal with, and nitrate can have acute health impacts. We would strongly recommend working with a water treatment professional when working with a water source that contains these contaminants.

You can find water treatment professionals in your area who have agreed to abide by WQA’s code of ethics using this search engine: https://wqa.org/find-members/

Or better yet, this search engine will allow you to find certified water treatment professionals in your area who have agreed to abide by WQA’s code of ethics.

No one-size-fits-all solution exists. Water treatment professionals and consumers should ensure water is tested and solutions are matched to actual water conditions. Here are the most common treatment techniques for these contaminants:

• Iron

  • Treatment will depend on the form(s) of iron present, local water chemistry, and may require one or more of the treatments listed below.

    • Ferrous Iron (dissolved or clear water iron): water comes out of faucet clear but then turns red when in contact with air
    • Ferric Iron (oxidized or red water iron): water contains reddish rust particles visible when first drawn from the tap
    • Organic Iron/Tannins: water is usually yellow/brown, but can also be colorless

    • Treatment techniques:

      • Water softening (low levels of dissolved iron)
      • Aeration (air injection) or chemical oxidation (adding a chemical like chlorine or hydrogen peroxide) followed by filtration, or an oxidizing filter that does both in one step
      • Carbon filters with iron removal additives
      • Ozonation

• Sulfur

  • This contaminant creates a rotten-egg odor in water supplies

  • Treatment depends on the form of sulfur, the concentration, and local water chemistry. Treatment is sometimes combined with iron treatment.

    • Hydrogen sulfide gas

      • Aeration or chemical oxidation followed by filtration
      • Oxidizing filters
      • Activated carbon (low concentrations)
      • Ozonation

    • Sulfate reducing bacteria

      • May require disinfection of the system prior to treatment
      • Continuous chlorination with a chemical feed pump followed by carbon filtration
  • If the rotten egg odor is only in hot water, the problem may be in the water heater. A water treatment professional can troubleshoot the issue and recommend an appropriate solution, which typically involves installing a different type of anode in the water heater.

• Nitrates

  • The best treatment technique will depend on the concentration of nitrate, local water chemistry, and the plumbing materials present in the home. Some of the technologies below may cause the water to become corrosive under certain conditions.
  • Look for products that are certified to remove nitrate whenever possible because this contaminant is an acute health concern (may cause death in infants). This ensures that the product has undergone rigorous testing to ensure it performs as advertised.

  • Treatment technologies effective for nitrate removal include

    • Anion exchange
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Distillation

Are there any emerging contaminants (like PFAS or wildfire runoff) that you're seeing become more prominent in specific regions?

PFAS are a worldwide issue because those chemicals are used in many different industries.

Wildfires can cause regional and local issues, although the biggest problems are not related to the runoff from the fire. The fire can damage pipes in ways that contaminate the water distribution infrastructure with extremely high levels of heavy metals and carcinogens. California has localized contamination of 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP) because it was commonly used in the state’s agriculture industry. Rhode Island has issues with beryllium in private wells because of the local geology. There are many contaminants like this that have a local or regional cause.

Lead is not an emerging contaminant, but because of changes to the Lead & Copper rule, many schools and daycares are now testing their water for lead when previously they were not testing.

Have any federal or state regulations shifted recently that are affecting regional demand for treatment products?

Yes. Regulatory shifts at both the federal and state levels are driving changes in demand—especially for systems targeting PFAS and lead.

• EPA Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI)

  • The EPA issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. Removal of the lead service lines can cause lead levels to spike as sediment containing lead is mobilized and moves into the premise plumbing of homes and buildings. Consequently, many communities are handing out filters certified to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead removal as these pipe replacements are taking place.
  • The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold triggering communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water.

• EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for PFAS

  • In 2024, the EPA announced new federal regulations for six PFAS chemicals in drinking water. In May 2025, the EPA announced it would only keep the NPDWR for two PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS) and will reconsider the regulations for the other four PFAS chemicals in the future.
  • Many states have moved forward with setting their own regulations for PFAS in drinking water – often more stringent than EPA levels
  • These uncertainties in the federal regulations, as well as various state regulations, are driving increased demand for PFAS treatment solutions

• There are also several programs available to help pay for testing and treatment for individuals and small communities in rural and disadvantaged areas. These programs are helping to drive an increased demand for treatment products. Some of these programs include:

  • The Emerging Contaminant Small & Disadvantaged Communities grant program (EC-SDL)
  • The Small Underserved & Disadvantaged Community grant program (SUDC).
  • Healthy H2O Act (this one is still pending, but has bipartisan support)
  • California SAFER Program

What are some common mistakes you’ve seen distributors make when recommending or stocking water treatment products?

Understanding Product Certifications and recognizing fake certifications. The minimum bar in the US is that all plumbed-in products, including drinking water treatment products, that come in contact with water intended for drinking or cooking must now have the “Lead-Free” certification. This is required through Federal law, and anyone selling a product is responsible for compliance including distributors and contractors. Standard NSF/ANSI 372 covers the lead-free compliance. Or a certification to the most recent version of these standards also covers the Lead-Free requirements:

• NSF/ANSI/CAN 61
• NSF/ANSI 42, 44, 53, 55, 58

Contractors and distributors should beware that some products still listed as certified may have been evaluated against older versions of these standards, which may not have included the lead-free requirements.

Material safety certification is generally considered as a minimum “best practice”, although it is not necessarily required in all jurisdictions. Local plumbing codes may have more stringent certification requirements. Also, some companies have established internal policies which are even more stringent.

The third-party certification body can tell you whether a product certification is current, if it included the lead-free certification, and answer any other questions related to the scope of the certification.

Here are the certification bodies accredited in the US and Canada to certify water treatment products:

Canadian Standards Association (CSA): https://www.csagroup.org

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO): http://www.iapmo.org/

International Code Council (ICC): https://www.iccsafe.org/

NSF International (NSF): http://www.nsf.org/

Underwriter Laboratories (UL): https://www.ul.com/

Water Quality Association (WQA): https://www.wqa.org

Also, make the customer aware of the maintenance requirements. These systems will not continue to operate effectively without routine maintenance. It is not like a water heater, where you can install it and forget it. If you are selling to a water treatment dealership, they will work with the end user to plan for maintenance. If you are selling directly to the end-user or to someone who will just do the installation, consider partnering with a water treatment dealership who can offer long-term maintenance plans. At a minimum, treatment devices should come with literature that informs the end-user of the routine maintenance requirements.

What are some examples of how regional data (water reports, ZIP code profiles) can be used to build a smarter product offering? Do you know of any tools or resources that help sales staff quickly match treatment products to a customer’s water profile?

There are tools available to help inform what the water quality may be or what contaminants are common in a particular area. However, water quality can change over time as well as from one house to the next in a single neighborhood. Because of this, it is best practice to always test the water before deciding on treatment.

• Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR):
  https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/safewater/f?p=136:102::::::

  • EPA requires community water systems to provide a CCR, or a drinking water quality report, to their customers annually.
  • These reports include information on the water source and water quality testing results compared to EPA standards for regulated contaminants

• EWG (Environmental Working Group) Tap Water Database:
  https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/

  • Contains data from nearly 50,000 public water utilities across all 50 states. It allows users to search by zip code or utility name to see the contaminants detected in their water as compared to EPA standards as well as health guidelines set by the EWG.

• Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) Contaminant Map:
  https://www.wqrf.org/map20.html

  • Interactive mapping tool that provides data on water quality in public water systems across all 50 states for 16 common contaminants. Users can search by zip code, state, county, or water utility name.

• State and Local Health Departments

  • Information regarding water quality and common contaminants in private wells can be obtained by contacting local and state health departments

How do you recommend distributors and manufacturers collaborate on regional education or sales support for contractors?

The annual WQA Convention & Expo is the only national event in the U.S. that focuses on the types of water treatment products that would be used in a home or a building. You can see the products in the exhibit hall and speak with the manufacturers.

Many of the distributors also have booths at this Expo to advertise the products they are selling to the many water treatment dealers and professionals who attend the event.

WQA provides educational sessions at this event that cover many of the topics we are discussing here, including PFAS, wildfires, regional issues, product certifications, water quality myths, etc. We also offer more specific training and professional certifications, including course work and credentials for sales representatives.

And there are regional water quality events for those who want to network on a more local level, including the Eastern WQA event, and the Pacific WQA event, as well as numerous state-specific regional events.

How do you see technology (smart filters, AI, municipal data tools) changing the way we approach regionally informed water treatment?

Technology is transforming how the water industry designs, delivers, and maintains water treatment solutions. Here are some of the technology trends that are already beginning, and we expect to see improve and become more widespread and commonly available in the future:

• Real-time monitoring or “smart” filters and IoT (internet of things) integration
  • Many treatment devices now include sensors to monitor things like flow rates and leak detection, and can send alerts to users when maintenance is required. We expect the use of these technologies to increase, and to see technologies start to incorporate real-time monitoring of the concentration of contaminants in water at any given time. For example, a sensor on your kitchen faucet that tells you exactly how much lead is in the water. Sensors for contaminants will become more accurate, cheaper, and able to detect contaminants at lower concentrations.
• AI Tools
  • While there are pros and cons to its use, we can’t deny that AI tools are being used more and more in everyday life. This also applies to water treatment. AI is also capable of pulling data from multiple sources to inform what water quality may be in a certain region. Consumers are starting to use AI to diagnose water quality concerns and select treatment. Water professionals will need to be prepared to address incorrect facts that may be presented by these tools, or advise consumers who already have a preconceived notion of what is wrong with their water.
• Improvements in the Sustainability of POU/POE technologies
  • Especially water, energy, salt savings; Reducing plastic waste and potential for POU/POE devices to contribute to microplastics pollution
• Novel field test kits
  • Improvements in field test kits to become more accurate and cheaper, and available for a wider variety of contaminants, like PFAS, E.coli. etc.
• Leveraging of ambient, environmental conditions in water treatment
  • Utilization of sunlight, photocatalysis, air to water generation