A Free Public Service

May 8, 2024

SCAMS BULLETIN Host Jay White is an inactive attorney in San Mateo County, California.

DRINKING WATER SCAMS

Attribution: scambusters.com

Drinking water quality is a major concern for most of us, especially what comes out of the faucets in our homes.

Scammers have been cashing in on this by making false claims, adding potentially dangerous chemicals, selling useless testing kits, and installing expensive and unnecessary equipment. They’re not only ripping us off, but they could also be putting your health at risk.

Common Water Quality Scams

*Free water quality testing: This is a well-known foot-in-the-door tactic used by scammers. It’s happening across the US right now. The result is usually the bad news that you’ll need to install specialist equipment.

*Told to install filters on every faucet in their home at a high cost.

 *Fake claims: Scammers make all sorts of outrageous claims about the effectiveness of their testing processes and kits.

*Another claim is that an installed filtration unit is “maintenance free” – that’s just not true.

*Fake color tests: Scammers claim if the water they’re testing changes color, it’s unsafe. Then they drop in an innocent looking tablet that – guess what – changes the color of the water.

*Old kits: The chemicals used in testing kits have a limited shelf life, after which they start to degrade and may produce false results. These old kits are likely to be sold at huge knock-down prices – a surefire red flag.

Remote testing: Scammers send out bottles for you to fill with home water and send it off to them for testing in their supposedly super hi-tech lab. Unless you’ve established this is a reputable company (see below for link), you have no idea whether the “result” they send back is genuine.

*Fake endorsement or certification: Scammers may pretend to be working for a government agency like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), your local water utility, or the Water Quality Association. They may even show you forged business cards, permits, or badges.

How to Protect From Water Quality Scams

It’s important to be concerned about the quality of your home water – and by “quality,” we don’t necessarily mean “taste” – because many water authorities add chemicals believed to be safe (in appropriate amounts), like chlorine, to reduce or eliminate contaminants.

Protection guidance:

There are things you can do to avoid being tricked by scammers.

First, check the testing and analysis findings of your local water utility. These are usually called Consumer Confidence Reports and are generally published annually and freely available online.

Don’t get involved with door-to-door solicitors. Politely shut the door on them. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns against it and the Water Quality Association, for example, says it never operates this way.

Say “no” to any unsolicited free testing offer, however you receive it. Why would anyone logical person do that for free unless they want to sell you something?

Fully research tested, reputable products. Check for proof of independent testing and certification. Compare pricing with other similar products to any you’re considering; crooks tend to heavily overcharge.

Scrutinize online reviews from other consumers, reading the negatives as well as the positives.

Beware of dramatic and exaggerated claims about what kits or installed equipment can actually do.

Don’t buy from unknown sellers. They may not even be licensed.

Check the expiry date on any testing kits you’re thinking of buying.

Check and verify the identification and permit or license of a supposed tester or equipment supplier, especially if they claim to be from official organizations. Note that having an EPA registration number doesn’t mean that a kit has been endorsed by the agency.

Get professional advice from your water utility or established, reputable testing companies. Use this link to check for certified testing labs: https://tinyurl.com/yy9uw7ck and this one for products certified by the Water Quality Association: https://tinyurl.com/56xdxa8x

Yes, good water quality is essential to a healthy life. So, it’s important to know the facts about what’s coming out of your faucets. But most of the information you need is readily available for free. And, if you want to double-check, make sure you’re working with and using a reputable testing or filtration product.

Report any water quality scams to US FTC.gov.

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