Selecting Water Treatment

The purpose of treating water for the majority of people is to ensure general overall safety. Installed equipment must be functioning correctly every day of the year to achieve this. My experience has shown that oftentimes people’s understanding of individual pieces of equipment is misconceived. The exact purpose of a piece of equipment or the results that are yielded from the equipment are not always the same as what the equipment was designed to treat.

Commonly, the standard belief is that any installed system will remove “everything” from the water. Another common misconception is that the water is “safe just as it is” with the existing treatment system. These are phrases that I have heard repetitively over my twenty plus years of experience in the industry. 

There is no single place for credible information about the multitude of treatment devices on the market today, spelled out in simple everyday terms. Water quality is not the same at every location and without proper water testing it is not possible to determine the correct equipment to install. Despite this, water treatment equipment is routinely purchased and installed by homeowners without proper testing or comprehension.

People generally do not conduct regular water testing and often treatment equipment is left alone until a problem arises warranting attention. 

Recommendations are often suggested by friends, the local hardware store, neighborhood handyman or your local plumber; any of which may or may not be qualified. Water treatment dealers are set up with varying levels of abilities depending on their certifications, the market they operate in, water quality, experience and knowledge of treatment equipment as well as installation practices and maintenance requirements. 

Further complicating this issue in Canada is that water treatment dealers are not required to operate with any credentials to conduct business. Consequently this leads some dealers operating ethically with knowledge and credentials, while others do not, resulting in very little repercussion or regulation. How is it okay to install a piece of equipment without the proper testing, training, design, source water consideration and installation requirements?

A certified water treatment specialist in Canada is an individual who has completed training and certification by the Canadian Water Quality Association (CWQA). Certifications exist for the sales, design, installation and service of specific types of equipment. These certifications provide the tools, knowledge and required processes to ensure that water treatment equipment is applied correctly based on the incoming water quality and that proper ongoing maintenance is conducted.

Before you purchase your next piece of equipment or if you are unsure of the equipment installed at your residence, consult a certified water treatment specialist for advice. Water treatment should be installed at the recommendation of a professional, just the same as you would expect from the work completed by your mechanic, doctor, lawyer, teacher or any other profession which holds a licence.