Consumers’ Water Concerns (by NSF Manager)

Consumers’ Water Concerns (by NSF Manager)

Kyle Postmus, a global senior manager at NSF with over 11 years in the water treatment industry, recently wrote an article about water quality concerns in North America. He points out that while the U.S. has some of the safest drinking water globally, people are still worried about contaminants. Postmus highlights how trust in tap water varies across different regions and raises a red flag about fake water filters being sold online. His takeaway? Water treatment companies should be more open with customers, share reliable information, and use third-party certifications to back up their products.

Risk of Chlorine Dioxide to Residential Plumbing

Last year, the Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI) released an important report called Technical Note 67, which looks at how chlorine dioxide affects different types of plumbing pipes. In response to this, a plumbing manager for Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc. wrote an article explaining the risks of using chlorine dioxide as a water disinfectant. The manager points out that while chlorine dioxide is becoming more popular due to its effectiveness and fewer harmful byproducts, it can damage certain types of plumbing pipes. Materials like PEX, PE-RT, and PP-R may have shorter lifespans when exposed to chlorine dioxide, but CPVC pipes seem to be resistant to this chemical.

Water Filtration & Freezers

Florida Pure Water Solutions recently wrote an article exploring how water filtration affects freezer performance. The piece highlights that clean, filtered water leads to clearer ice cubes and improved freezer efficiency (no shocker there). The team explains that proper filtration not only enhances water quality but also extends the lifespan of appliances like freezers, and recommends replacing water filters every 3-6 months for best results. This emphasizes that good water quality impacts more than just drinking water – it can also improve appliance performance and longevity.

How Does Membrane Degasifier Work?

Pennsylvania-based Agape Water Solutions recently wrote about membrane degasification (MGD) systems, a technology that’s growing in popularity. These systems remove dissolved gasses like carbon dioxide and oxygen from liquids, potentially helping treatment systems combat scaling, corrosion, and quality issues. The piece also outlines the main components of MGD systems and their four-step process, plus the benefits of this technology: high efficiency, chemical-free operation, compact design, and low maintenance costs. The article suggests MGD systems could also reduce expenses for other water treatment processes.

What else is happening:

• U.S. EPA awards $7.3 million to California to support drinking water systems in four communities that will be facing the impacts of climate change

• Arizona-based Pristine Water Softeners does a deep-dive on reverse osmosis in industrial water treatment systems

• On a similar note, Wisconsin-based Complete Water Solutions writes about the difference between cleaning and disinfecting industrial RO systems (and also announces a 12,000 sq. ft. expansion)

• WQA Podcast releases a new episode titled “Understanding Emerging Contaminants”

• Pristine Water Softeners has been busy! They also released a deep-dive on how to check if a water source is part of a public water system

• Family-owned American Pump and Drilling writes about how to decommission a well the right way