WQA’s trademarks and logos distinguish the products, companies and individuals that meet the highest standards of quality and professionalism:
- WQA’s Gold Seal, the oldest third-party testing and certification program in the water treatment industry, assures customers that products will work as advertised and that they have been proven safe for household use. In addition, WQA’s Sustainability mark distinguishes companies certified to industry standards in sustainability.
- The WQA Member Logo is used by WQA members in good standing, who promise to abide by the Association’s Code of Ethics and maintain the highest principals of honesty, integrity and professionalism.
- WQA Professional Certification logos indicate that individuals have improved their technical knowledge and abilities, have learned how to follow industry ethics and have passed a rigorous exam demonstrating mastery of these topics.
To preserve the integrity of its trademarks and logos, WQA maintains a searchable database of companies found to be using them in an unauthorized manner:
Complaints process
WQA has established processes for dealing with companies and individuals accused of using WQA’s logos in an unauthorized manner.
Companies who do not belong to WQA and members that have allowed their membership to lapse or expire, as well as those who have chosen to terminate membership, forfeit the right to use and display the WQA Member Logo.
Individuals who are not certified by WQA or who have been decertified by WQA for any reason are not allowed to use WQA Professional Certification logos.
No company or person shall apply or display the Gold Seal or Sustainability trademarks in connection with a product or represent in any way that the product is certified without written authorization from WQA’s Product Certification staff. Unapproved use and misapplication of the Gold Seal and Sustainability trademarks is prohibited.
If these guidelines are violated, WQA retains the right to direct the user to cease using the Trademark and may sue to enjoin misuse by any user to recover actual and punitive damages. It is the right of WQA to determine whether these guidelines have been violated or whether any WQA logos have been misused.
WQA’s Quality Department investigates complaints. If you suspect an individual or company is improperly using a WQA logo, has made misleading claims or in other ways has violated the logo use policies, you can file a complaint by emailing complaints@wqa.org.
WQA acknowledges by e-mail all complaints received. Efforts will be made to resolve the complaint in a timely manner and inform the complainant of the outcome.
If the complainant finds the decision unsatisfactory, he or she may file an appeal by emailing appeals@wqa.org. (SCC is the final level of appeals for disputes with WQA regarding conformance to accreditation criteria as it applies to Canadian requirements.)
For more information about specific WQA logo usage, please see:
Questions? Email goldseal@wqa.org
Questions? Email sustainability@wqa.org
Questions? Email membership@wqa.org
Questions? Email education@wqa.org