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Topic: Contaminants

  • Guidance for Sanitizing Residential Water Treatment Systems

    This document provides general guidance and information for water treatment professionals who may be called upon to sanitize drinking water treatment systems used within a home or business environment after a prolonged period of stagnation due to building vacancy, flooding, or similar potential contamination events. For example, this guidance would be appropriate when assisting customers…

  • General Guidance for Water Treatment Professionals on Proper Maintenance of Treatment Systems as Shelter-in-Place Orders are Lifted

    This document provides general guidance and information for water treatment professionals who may be called upon to assist customers with bringing vacant buildings back online, such as when the Shelter-In-Place orders due to COVID-19 are lifted. It addresses the activities necessary to bring the potable water supply treatment systems (treatment systems) in the building back…

  • Bacteria & Virus

    Microbial and organic contaminants can’t always be detected through sight, smell or taste. You might go years before realizing a problem exists.  Although some waterborne microbes can cause illness, many microbes are harmless or even beneficial. Very small levels of microbes are naturally present in many water supplies, but some are more dangerous than others.…

  • Trends Report: International Performance and Reduction standards

    This report investigates countries we are aware of discussing performance/reduction standards requirements as it relates to drinking water treatment units through regulations or other initiatives. There are also country profile reports includes regulations and resources WQA is aware of pertaining to specific countries.

  • Boil Water Notice Brochure

    Treatment for microbial contamination may be applied either where the water enters the home (point of entry) or at the point where drinking water is drawn (point of use). Consumers may boil their water or install a point-of-use or point-of-entry water treatment system certified for total microbial (e.g., bacteria, viruses and protozoa) reduction. If you have a POU or POE treatment system already in…

  • Flooding Precautions Fact Sheet

    Water may not be safe to drink, cook or clean with after an emergency such as a flood. During and after flooding, water can become contaminated with  microorganisms such as bacteria, sewage, heating oil, agricultural or industrial waste, chemicals and other substances that can cause serious illness. People with private drinking water wells in flooded areas can take precautions and…

  • Manganese Fact Sheet

    Manganese is a mineral that is found naturally in the environment and is one of the most abundant metals on the earth’s surface, in air, water, and soil. It can be found in both groundwater and surface water from natural sources or as a result of human activity such as mining and industrial discharges.  …

  • Flouride Fact Sheet

    Fluorine is a natural trace element and exists in almost all soils. Fluoride is classified as any binary compound of fluorine with another element. Perhaps the most widely known use of fluoride is its addition to public drinking water supplies at about one milligram per liter (mg/L) of a fluoride salt, measured as fluoride, for…

  • Emerging Contaminant Removal and Microbial Growth in POU Membrane Filtration and Activated Carbon 

    Emerging Contaminant Removal and Microbial Growth in POU Membrane Filtration and Activated Carbon systems are common point-of-use (POU) water filtration systems. They are used to remove contaminants from drinking water, including trace-level emerging contaminants, as the last barrier to protect human health before consumption. 

  • Emerging Contaminant Consumer Study

    This independent study was performed by researchers from the University of Wisconsin system in June 2021, to gauge the American public’s knowledge of emerging contaminants in drinking water and their interest and willingness to pay for Point-of-Use (POU)/Point-of-Entry (POE) home water filtration devices. POU devices treat drinking water at the point of consumption (e.g., kitchen…