• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • WC&P History
    • Glossary
    • Media Kit
    • Our Writers
  • Classifieds
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Magazine
    • Features
    • People
    • Global Spotlight
    • Media Kit
  • Events
  • Topics
    • Carbon Filtration
    • Coolers/Bottled Water
    • Filtration
    • Groundwater
    • Ion Exchange
    • Ozone
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
    • Water Reuse
  • Subscribe
Twitter LinkedIn
Agua Latino America
Twitter LinkedIn
  • Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • WC&P History
    • Glossary
    • Media Kit
    • Our Writers
  • Classifieds
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • Magazine
    • Features
    • People
    • Global Spotlight
    • Media Kit
  • Events
  • Topics
    • Carbon Filtration
    • Coolers/Bottled Water
    • Filtration
    • Groundwater
    • Ion Exchange
    • Ozone
    • Reverse Osmosis
    • Ultraviolet
    • Water Reuse
  • Subscribe
Agua Latino America
Home»1991»WQA And AWWA On Common Ground?
1991

WQA And AWWA On Common Ground?

June 24, 20162 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Is there common ground between municipal water utilities and the point-of-use industry? Can the American

Water Works Association (AWWA) which numbers 52,000 water utility professionals and the Water Quality Association (WQA) work together for the good of the consumer?

These questions have plagued both industries since the POU industry began selling home water treatment devices to consumers served by municipal water utilities.

While scare tactics and false claims employed by some POU sales-people have justifiably angered water utility managers, the problem seems to go much deeper than that. Just the mere presence of POU water treatment devices is an indictment of municipal water in the eyes of many utility managers.

Once the focus of the water treatment industry shifted from mere aesthetics such as softened water to health-related contaminants in drinking water, municipalities felt the quality of their water was being questioned.

Although the percentage of “bad apples” in the POU industry is relatively low, the everyday water utility manager needs only one bad experience to adopt a defensive stance against all POU treatment.

However, all the news is not discouraging. There is movement by the leadership of both associations to seek solutions to myriad problems facing them. The Joint Liaison Committee of the AWWA and WQA, formed two years ago, has begun a dialogue which has opened new avenues of communication.

The committee has made great strides, but would be the first to agree that much still remains to be done.

Perhaps the most positive sign is that understanding is beginning to filter down through AWWA membership. WC & P experienced this new understanding while attending AWWA’s recent Water Technology Conference in San Diego, CA. Many conferees openly discussed their feelings, both negative and positive, about POU water treatment with WC & P. AWWA even had a poster presentation during the conference on the effectiveness of POU activated carbon filtration devices.

Yes, there are encouraging signs. Certainly the groundwork of cooperation has been laid. Water pros from both associations are at least beginning to listen to each other. And, once everyone involved realizes that.
Darlene J. Scheel

WC & P Editor

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

Related Posts

What’s New

July 15, 2016

Newsreel

July 15, 2016

Working With Municipalities. . .Not Against Them

July 15, 2016

Comments are closed.

Twitter LinkedIn
© 2023 Meliora Group LLC, All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Website services by Route 7 Media

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.