This time not to blast the potentially, and most likely unethical business practices of some water filter companies, but rather to compliment the folks who put the following article together which not only warns people about the possibility of scam artists in their area, but also gives people ways to access the most recent Annual Consumer Confidence Report for their local water company.

Residents in Auburn and Opelika are currently being contacted by private companies offering to provide free water testing services. These companies are not affiliated with any local government or water provider. These companies offer the free water testing services in an effort to persuade residents to purchase water treatment systems.

The Water Works Board of the City of Auburn (AWWB) and Opelika Utilities provide water service in the Auburn and Opelika area. The water provided to residents in Auburn and Opelika is safe to drink and does not require additional treatment. Additionally, the water provided to residents in Auburn and Opelika is tested on a routine basis and meets all state and federal water quality standards. Water quality information presented in the Annual Consumer Confidence Report for the AWWB can be found at www.auburnalabama.org/wrm-water under the Annual Reports tab. Water quality information presented in the Annual Water Quality Report for Opelika Utilities can be found at www.owwb.com under the Water Quality Report tab.

For more information regarding water quality in Auburn, please contact the Water Resource Management Department at 334-501-3060. For more information regarding water quality in Opelika, please contact Opelika Utilities at 334-705-5500. ( source )

It does not matter where you live. If some stranger shows up on your doorstep claiming to represent the local Health department or your local water company and they don’t seem to have proper credentials, call the police immediately and do NOT allow them entry to your home.

Legitimate parties will remain at your door until the officers arrive. Scam artists and phonies will high tail it out of your yard in a heartbeat.

In-Home water test demonstrations?

First of all, remember that the person, hopefully from a reputable water treatment system company, coming out to your home had one goal in mind: To sell you a water filter system. In other words, they don’t make any money if you don’t buy a water filter system.

With that said, we suggest you do a little prep work before your appointment with the rep from the water filter company:

1) If on city or tap water, request and read the Consumer Confidence Report issued by your local water company.

2) Pick up an at-home water test kit such as the WaterSafe City or Water Quality Test Kit made by SenSafe and test your own water for a few basic parameters.

Arming yourself with a little bit of knowledge before the water filter company’s representative starts bombarding you with ‘facts and figures’ that may or not have a basis in reality may allow you to quickly determine whether or not the person has come to your home to blind you with BS so they can sell you a water filter — regardless of your actual, real water quality needs.

Then, if the in-home water testing trick does not work, the sales representatives allegedly resort to good old fashioned bullying until the homeowners agree to buy a water purification system.

PORT HOPE – There appears to be a water scam happening in town again, says Ed Symons, Water Distribution Supervisor for the Municipality of Port Hope.

“We seem to have to deal with this issue every year lately,” he said.

He says elderly people are telephoned and told they should have their water tested, then set up appointments and try to convince them that their water is unsafe to drink. They use “very persuasive selling tactics” to pressure them to purchase a $3,500 water purifier from their company.

“These people are not licensed to test Municipal water supplies nor do they use accredited labs as we do,” he said. “They use an old trick by setting up an accelerated corrosion cell that would make you think your water is bad (it turns black) when actually they are causing a piece of metal to rapidly corrode causing the water to turn black.”

If you hear of anyone getting these calls please contact Ed Symons at 905-885-7461 or the Port Hope Police Service at 905-885-8123. ( source )

All of us here at Water Testing Blog hope law enforcement officials in that are catch up with the con artists responsible for these phony water testing sales techniques and throw them under the dirtiest, most wretched jail in the region… giving them only unfiltered, dirty sewer water to drink.

Arm Yourself Against Water Purification Con Artists:

First of all, make sure the company whose sales pitch you will entertain sells quality, reputable water purification systems. Whenever possible, see if the company sells water filters bearing NSF Mark and/or the WQA Gold Seal, as the technologies in those filtration systems will have passed third-party inspection by recognized organizations in the water quality community.

Next, never go into the meeting with a sales representative without first doing some homework on your water because the water filter company’s representative makes money based upon the size and dollar value of the water purification system you buy. Arming yourself with simple water quality knowledge can stop you from unknowingly buying too ‘large’ a system and spending money unnecessarily.

By simply testing your water with a do-it-yourself water test kit such as the WaterSafe All-in-One Water Quality Test Kit or the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit before meeting with a sales rep you may have the ability to see through a water purification con artist’s game if they try to say your water contains things or has characteristics that you know it does not.

Complete Water Test Kit

WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit

WaterSafe All-in-One

An honest water purification system representative will not need to con you. The merits of their product line will speak for themselves and you will have the opportunity to purchase the correct system for your water quality situation.