With so many water filtration products on the market making various claims about contaminants they can remove and to what extent they are able to, it’s important to know if those claims are accurate.

When it comes to safe drinking water, the public has federal regulation on their side. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to regulate the nation’s public drinking water supply, with the goal of protecting public health. The law demands action on the protection of drinking water and its sources: rivers, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and groundwater wells. The SDWA authorizes the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against both naturally-occurring and man-made contaminants that may be found in drinking water.

The EPA regulates more than 80 contaminants in tap water which have been proven to pose a health risk, but are still legal to exist in trace amounts. However, there’s an increasing number of new and emerging contaminants which aren’t yet regulated, and may cause health concerns. Water filtration at home provides an added safety barrier to your drinking water, filtering out a variety of contaminants to ensure your family has access to the cleanest possible water from the tap. However, consumers are faced with an assortment of deceptive or misleading claims about the abilities of water filtration devices.

NSF International is a non-government, nonprofit organization recognized as “The Public Health and Safety Organization”. Founded in 1944, the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is an independent third-party certification and testing organization for products that impact water quality and food safety. Its purpose is to ensure that products perform the way their manufacturers claim they do, and products comply with regulatory standards. Bringing together experts from regulatory, academic, manufacturing, consumer and scientific industries, NSF provides a set of comprehensive standards and protocols by which manufacturers can identify, demonstrate and promote the quality, performance, safety and reliability of their products to establish consumer trust. 

NSF International standards are recognized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private, nonprofit corporation that was founded in 1918 to help enhance the “global competitiveness of U.S. business and the American quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards.”

How to check if a water filter is NSF certified

When a water filtration system has NSF certifications and listings on it, it has been tested and certified to verify its specific claims. NSF provides testing for water filters and refrigerator filters to certify their ability to remove certain contaminants and impurities from your water source. NSF certified water filters will contain packaging print that includes “NSF/ANSI” followed by a number. This signifies that the product has been certified to a specific filtration performance level. 

There are four NSF/ANSI Standards to look for when purchasing water filters for home and commercial use: 

NSF Standard 42 certification is intended to eliminate non-health related contaminants and aesthetic elements of water, such as sulfuric or chlorine taste and odor, or water discoloration due to mineral concentration. ProOne’s G2.0 series water filter is the only gravity filter that bears the distinguished NSF/ANSI-42 component certification. 

NSF Standard 53 certification is for is a minimum national standard for health effects of point-of-use and point-of-entry filtration systems, assuring that the filter will remove listed contaminants which may threaten human health. Filters meeting NSF Standard 53 requirements mitigate exposure to potentially hazardous microbiological, chemical or particulate contaminants. 

NSF Standard 401 is a newer testing standard for trace amounts of emerging contaminants including pesticides, insecticides and pharmaceuticals that have leached into water supplies. 

NSF Standard P231 rates a filtration system’s ability to reduce biological contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and live cysts. Rigorous multi-factor reduction capabilities are tested before certification to remove 99.99% of contaminants.

Beware of Misleading NSF Certification Claims

Making sure a water filtering system is NSF-certified before buying is simple: the NSF certification seal will appear on the product packaging. But frequently, companies will create false impressions on their product performance claims, claiming their items are “certified to NSF standards” or “tested according to NSF standards.” This is not the same as NSF-certified, as there is no independent substitute for NSF certification, and a company’s internal testing methods are unlikely to be unbiased. 

Your filtered water should be as clean as possible. Peace of mind and confidence in your home drinking water is essential. NSF certification via extensive product testing is the most reliable means for consumers to establish documented proof of drinking water filter product performance.

ProOne is committed to manufacturing NSF certified water filters that meet or exceed the applicable NSF standards, so consumers have access to the safest, cleanest drinking water on Earth. 

Learn more about ProOne water filtration products.

Looking For Replacement Filters For Gravity Filters?

Did you know that ProOne® G2.0 gravity filters fit most competitive gravity system brands including Alexapure, AquaCera, Doulton (British Berkefeld), Berkey®, and Patriot Pure?* With four different sizes available, rest assured there is a ProOne® G2.0 gravity filter to meet and exceed your needs.

Here’s what you should know about the ProOne® G2.0 filter:

• NSF/ANSI-42 component certified quality – we don’t just say it, we back it up – see our NSF certification
• NSF/ANSI standards independently lab tested – see our published lab report
• All-in-one filter technology – no add on fluoride filter required
• No need to store in a wet container when not in use
• Comes with a full factory warranty – no prorated terms
• Does not contain alumina
• Does not contain coconut carbon
• Silver infused to help prevent the growth of bacteria

Learn more about ProOne G2.0 water filters.