DIY Water Testing Kits Fall Short

DIY Water Testing Kits Fall Short

Researchers at UMass-Amherst recently reviewed at-home water testing kits and found that most delivered unclear results and leave homeowners guessing about their water quality. The team tested 11 popular kits purchased through Amazon (the same way most consumers shop for them) checking for iron, copper, manganese, and fluoride levels against lab results. Single-parameter kits outperformed multi-parameter versions, but even the better performers showed issues, particularly underreporting iron levels compared to professional lab analysis. The bigger problem, the team says, is that there's zero regulation governing these kits, leading to different instructions, varying result interpretations, and unreliable accuracy across brands. The researchers are pushing for industry regulation and recommend consumers work with certified labs through public health offices instead.

Texas Water Quality

In a recent article for SpringWell, writer Tommy Stricklin breaks down why Texas is trailing behind other states in water quality—ranking among the worst states for safe tap water with 15,340 Safe Drinking Water Act violations in 2023 alone. He says the problems run deep with over 165,000 miles of aging pipes (some dating back to post-WWII), widespread industrial pollution, and lax enforcement that lets polluters off easy. The contamination isn't just in taps either with 78% of tested schools showing lead levels above safe limits and nearly half of the state's recreational waters are unsafe for swimming. The one silver lining is that Texas is finally throwing money at the problem with $508 million in federal infrastructure funding, new regional water authorities, free lead filters for schools, and a push toward desalination to handle drought and population growth.

Reacting to PFAS Regulations

PA-based Dierolf Plumbing and Water Treatment posted an article reacting to the recent EPA PFAS regulation rollback. In it, the team pushes for professional water testing and NSF-certified reverse osmosis systems, positioning themselves as a solution until 2031 when limits go into effect. They added a quote as well, which specifically recommends "under-sink reverse osmosis or under-sink systems with multiple carbon filtration stages" as the best consumer protection available right now. Dierolf is offering free water testing as well as NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 certified systems that can actually remove forever chemicals. They're also promoting ultrafiltration for whole-home protection and emphasizing their 30-year track record serving Pennsylvania counties.

New Filter Design: Wood

Researchers have developed a new water filter that combines chemically treated wood with a smart polymer coating to remove over 96% of natural organic matter (without any chemical additives). The system uses harmless CO2 gas to activate the filter and was tested on real water samples from rivers, lakes, and even seawater across Canada. It consistently met Canadian drinking water standards while also killing bacteria like E. coli and MRSA. The best part? It's completely regenerable—just remove the CO2 and the filter releases everything it captured, which can actually be used as fertilizer. The wood-based material performed well even in rough conditions with high salt, heavy metals, and surfactants, and showed zero toxicity to human cells. Since it's made from abundant wood rather than expensive synthetic materials, this could potentially offer a cheaper, more sustainable alternative to traditional carbon filters.

What else is happening:

• DFW-based Military Plumbing announces a certified partnership with HALO Water Filtration Systems

• EAI Water posted an article all about the technical side of chlorine injection systems, covering what’s needed and what should be avoided

• AMPAC USA writes about the most effective way to eliminate PFAS and PFOA from drinking water

• Culligan LA asks and answers: are there microplastics in my water? 

• Michigan’s Wolverine Water Systems writes about the impacts of using softened water on gardens and recommends a few alternatives