Now fully functioning, the Water Quality Association’s (WQA) upgraded laboratory is offering certification for new products and businesses, including the first-ever testing of a line of stainless steel water bottles.
“With our new capacity, we are not only taking in additional companies but are also finding manufacturers beginning to use our facilities in innovative ways,” said Tom Palkon, director of the lab.
DSC Products, based in Chicago, has successfully certified three lines of water bottles with WQA’s Gold Seal Product Certification Program, Palkon said. There are no rules or regulations requiring water bottle certification, but the company understood that the WQA Gold Seal would provide consumers with a sense of safety.
Cuisinart, of New Jersey, recently asked WQA to certify four countertop filtration systems. The company has been moving more into the water treatment industry. The products have been certified for reduction of contaminants such as chlorine, lead, copper and mercury and for aesthetics, such as taste and odor.
WQA completed its lab upgrade and expansion earlier this year, growing its capacity by 50%. Since then, revenue to the lab has increased by 16%. The lab is based at the WQA headquarters in Lisle, Ill.
Products are tested to independent NSF/ANSI standards and earn Gold Seal certification if all requirements of the standard and Gold Seal policies are met. The Gold Seal program is the oldest third-party testing and certification program in the drinking water treatment industry. It has become one of the most recognized certification marks as an identifier of product quality.
Source: WQA
