Idaho Well-Water Wake-Up

Idaho Well-Water Wake-Up

That crystal-clear Idaho well water might be hiding some dirty secrets, according to local filtration company AquaKlear. The team at AquaKlear reports that 15% of wells exceed arsenic limits and 3% surpass nitrate safety standards. And even city water isn't problem-free, with the article noting that Boise and Meridian sport hard water ratings that significantly damage appliances and impact budgets. With that in mind, AquaKlear developed whole-home systems by combining sediment pre-filters, ion-exchange softeners, reverse osmosis, and UV polishing. The math checks out too—the article highlights that between premature water heater replacement ($1,300), annual soap waste ($180), and bottled water bills ($940/year for a family of four), the system pays for itself quickly.

WQA Expo Recap

WCP Online posted a recap of the 2025 WQA Convention & Exposition that took place in Long Beach last month, where "Innovation" took center stage. The team writes that this year's event featured the largest expo hall in WQA history, along with three days of education and networking opportunities across technical and business tracks. Day one kicked off with expert panels tackling industry questions about regulation, certification, and unverified treatment methods, followed by an awards ceremony where the baton passed from outgoing president Judd Larned to incoming president Mike Mitchell. The second day spotlighted emerging businesses through the HydroPitch competition featuring three finalists: Genesis Systems (atmospheric water generation), Kadeya (reusable bottle hydration service), and Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions (real-time microbial contamination detection). The convention wrapped up with a discussion on clean water's future, bringing together WQA, public water, and residential professional perspectives. Next year's event is scheduled for April 28-30, 2026, in Miami Beach, Florida.

The Many Faces of PFAS

A new article from AZ-based WES Water details the many faces of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs). The team explains that these synthetic chemicals, prized for their water and grease resistance, have been manufactured since the 1940s but only recently recognized as environmental threats. According to the article, the PFAs family includes thousands of compounds, with the most dangerous being "legacy" chemicals PFOA and PFOS - linked to cancer, liver damage, and immune system suppression. The report details how newer alternatives GenX and PFBS, while marketed as safer "short-chain" alternatives, still raise major health concerns including liver damage and reproductive issues. Most concerning is how traditional water treatment methods fail against these chemicals, with only specialized techniques like activated carbon filtration and reverse osmosis proving effective. The article finishes by saying that although regulatory agencies are working to address the crisis, progress remains slow while communities continue facing exposure risks.

Top 10 List

Utah-based Ampac USA dropped a recent article all about how RO systems tackle ten major contaminants that might be lurking in tap water. According to the team, these systems remove toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury that can enter water through aging pipes and industrial discharge. The piece highlights the top ten list for contaminants removed: lead, chlorine/chloramines, fluoride, arsenic, nitrates/nitrites, volatile organic compounds, pharmaceuticals/hormones, pesticides/herbicides, heavy metals, and total dissolved solids (TDS). Ampac says what’s most impressive is how RO systems can filter out emerging threats like pharmaceuticals that traditional filters miss.

What else is happening:

• Cyclopure, whose mission is PFAS-free water available for everyone, has expanded its line of residential filter products with the launch of Purefast® HomeXtreme

• Financial Times posts an opinion piece all about “drowning in a deluge of ads” for water filters

• Similar to Portland’s water quality sampling we wrote about two weeks ago, the New York Times posted about the NYC drinking water sampling stations

• Culligan of Los Angeles writes about their alkaline water offerings

• Mad River Well Services posts about what to do when a well runs dry