Free Nitrate Testing

Free Nitrate Testing

Valley Water Collaborative is running a massive free well testing program across California's San Joaquin Valley that's uncovering some serious nitrate contamination issues, and creating opportunities for filtration technology. The nonprofit, operating under a 35-year agreement between agricultural industries and the state water board, is finding "positive" nitrate results where unincorporated communities rely on domestic wells instead of treated public water. When contamination is found, the collaborative provides bottled water or installs filters, but they specifically note that only reverse osmosis or ion exchange systems work for nitrates. Said another way, the collaborative states basic commercial tap filters are useless, and boiling water actually makes the problem worse. The program is battling some customer resistance from well owners who fear their wells will be shut down, but emphasizes they're there to help, not regulate.

Cyclopure Joins Colorado PFAS Test Program (Again)

Cyclopure just landed a second-year contract with Colorado's Department of Public Health & Environment to provide free PFAS testing for private well owners across the state. The Evanston-based company tested over 660 water samples in Bailey, Colorado during the 2024 pilot program and is now expanding statewide in 2025. CEO Frank Cassou calls the PFAS Testing and Assistance Program (TAP) "first-of-kind," highlighting a gap that many in the industry know well: private wells aren't protected under the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Act, leaving homeowners responsible for their own testing and treatment. Cyclopure's Water Test Kit Pro uses an extraction disc technology that captures PFAS in real-time without requiring water shipping, then analyzes samples for 55 different PFAS compounds. Since launching in 2020, the company has tested over 25,000 water samples, suggesting there's serious demand for PFAS testing services.

6-Stage RO Systems

AMPAC USA is addressing the premium RO market with their latest educational piece promoting 6-stage reverse osmosis systems as the next big thing beyond standard 3-5 stage units. Author Sammy Farag breaks down how the sixth stage, an alkaline or mineral filter, addresses a common customer complaint about RO water being "too pure" by reintroducing minerals like calcium and magnesium. The company is positioning this as the sweet spot between total contaminant removal and maintaining the health benefits of mineralized water. AMPAC is hitting multiple selling points including environmental benefits (one household can eliminate thousands of plastic bottles annually), cost savings, and applications ranging from residential under-sink units to commercial food service operations. The piece emphasizes their NSF certification and USA manufacturing as differentiators, while providing detailed maintenance schedules and customer testimonials to build credibility.

Evolution of Water Softeners

Alamo Water Softeners is educating their audience on the evolution of water softeners, tracing water treatment from ancient Roman aqueducts to tomorrow's AI systems. The San Antonio-based company, founded by a former Marine in 2009, uses the piece to highlight how far the industry has come from 19th century zeolite discoveries to today's regeneration systems that optimize salt and water usage. The real focus of the article is on what's coming next: smart water softeners with technology that lets homeowners monitor usage and salt levels via smartphone apps, and eco-friendly innovations like capacitive deionization that eliminate salt regeneration entirely. The company is particularly bullish on hybrid systems that combine multiple filtration methods (carbon filters, UV purification, and RO membranes) with analytics to optimize performance. Alamo positions this evolution as both an opportunity and a challenge, noting that while customers will have more options than ever, the core goal remains the same: providing high-quality water that benefits both households and the environment.

What else is happening:

• Delaware lawmakers unanimously passed a bill mandating that water providers begin testing for PFAS in 2026 and work to reduce PFAS to near-zero levels by 2029

• WQA posts about their education open house taking place the week of July 28, and drops another WQA Podcast episode about the WQA Mentorship Program

• WaterFilterGuru reviews the SoftPro Elite water softener, saying it’s a good value for the money and that “it addressed water hardness extremely well”

• Pure Water Northwest writes about all things hydrogen water bottles, noting most hydrogen bottles do not actually remove contaminants

• Culligan of Lansing spends a few minutes on local news FOX 47 discussing their company and offerings