Year-in-Review

Year-in-Review

AquiSense published their 2025 year-in-review highlighting major business milestones and regulatory wins that signal a growing acceptance of LED technology in water treatment. The UV-C LED disinfection company completed an employee and investor buyout to become independent from their parent company, then secured Series A funding to fuel expansion across municipal and industrial markets. The company achieved a major breakthrough when their PearlAqua Kilo system earned NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2024 certification and EPA validation, opening doors for adoption of LED disinfection by municipalities and industrial water applications globally. AquiSense celebrated their 10-year anniversary while surpassing 510,000 installations worldwide and winning Kentucky's Manufacturer of the Year award in the small business category.

DIY vs. Professional Installation

Aquasana wrote a guide this week aiming to help customers decide between self-installation and hiring professionals, which may be a smart approach that supports their business while building customer confidence. The team outlines six clear scenarios when professional installation makes sense: manufacturer recommendations, warranty requirements, plumbing expertise needs, missing tools, time constraints, and long-term cost considerations. The company positions itself as DIY-friendly for simple systems while recommending professionals for whole house systems and their SmartFlow RO unit, noting that correct installation prevents expensive problems like leaks, water damage, and voided warranties. Their strategy includes providing an installer locator tool to help customers find trusted professionals rather than leaving them to search on their own. Aquasana explains that while hiring a professional increases upfront costs, it saves money long-term.

Water pH Explained

EcoWater Tampa published a blog post connecting water pH to practical daily problems. The team explains that pH measures how acidic or alkaline water is on a 0-14 scale, with EPA recommending 6.5-8.5 for drinking water, but connects this to real issues Tampa residents face like metallic taste, cloudy glasses, and crusty faucets. The company notes that Tampa's municipal water typically runs 7.2-8.0 pH but emphasizes that well water can vary more due to local soil and limestone formations affecting groundwater chemistry. They explain that pH alone doesn't make water unsafe, but low pH can cause metal pipes to corrode faster while high pH encourages mineral buildup that clogs appliances and reduces efficiency. The Florida company addresses the popular alkaline water trend by noting that while many people enjoy mineral-rich alkaline water, scientific evidence on health benefits remains limited, keeping the focus on balanced water rather than marketing hype.

APEC Countertop RO System Review

Water Filter Guru published a detailed lab-based review of APEC's ROCT PLUS countertop reverse osmosis dispenser, giving it an 8.58/10 overall score with strong marks for contaminant removal but noting several drawbacks. Brian Campbell’s lab testing showed the $418 system removed 100% of chlorine, copper, nitrate, and uranium while reducing fluoride by 85% and barium by 90%, though it performed slightly worse than competitors like AquaTru and Waterdrop systems. The ROCT PLUS offers multiple water temperatures including presets for coffee, room temperature, and baby formula, with a 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio that makes it fairly water-efficient compared to typical RO systems. What hurt its score was the lack of NSF or other performance certifications, no remineralization filter to restore healthy minerals, and a tedious 46-minute initial flushing process during setup.

What else is happening:

• WCP Online released their top pages of 2025, saying their blog post on sharing a water well was the most popular

• NJ-based Passaic Bergen Water Softening demos how a reverse osmosis system works with a 2 min. video

• Long Island Clean Water Service (LICWS) explains how efficient systems save money

• PA-based Dierolf Plumbing & Water Treatment publishes a guide on removing manganese from well water