| The home water delivery industry is poorly regulated. | | | | do what their makers say they do. |
| Sales of water delivery are increasing, as are claims | | | | That's not to say that all pitches for home water |
| for fraud and complaints about unethical sales | | | | treatment units are scams. Even the General |
| practices. Consumers must beware of salesmen who | | | | Accounting Office says there are many reputable |
| attempt to frighten them and claims of government | | | | companies among the 600-plus manufacturers that |
| approval for water treatment units. | | | | make up the industry. Nevertheless, the office's |
| Landfills that leak deadly contaminants into | | | | conclusion that inadequate regulation of home water |
| groundwater; pipes that lace tap water with lead; | | | | treatment units leaves consumers at risk underscores |
| pesticides that taint lakes and streams those are just | | | | the importance of "testing the water" carefully |
| a few of the images that come to mind when the | | | | before spending $25 to upwards of $2,000 on a |
| safety of our water supply comes into question-and | | | | water purifier. |
| they are prompting an expanding number of | | | | Don't let a salesperson frighten you into buying a |
| Americans to purchase home water delivery. | | | | water filter or other type of treatment unit, |
| Between 2001 and 2007, spending on home water | | | | particularly because the chances are quite high that |
| treatment units increased by some 50 percent, to | | | | you don't need one. Although drinking water from |
| nearly $2 billion annually. Expert's project that by 2009 | | | | some sources, particularly private wells, can in rare |
| that figure will rise again--to almost $3 billion. | | | | instances pose a health hazard, the major portion of |
| At the same time sales of home water treatment | | | | our water delivery comes from public water supplies |
| units are raising, however, so are reports of | | | | that comply with safety standards set by the |
| questionable sales practices and fraudulent claims. | | | | Environmental Protection Agency. Unfortunately, |
| Between 2003 and 2007, consumers filed more than | | | | some marketers scare consumers into believing that |
| 4,000 written complaints about water purifiers with | | | | even water that meets the government's safety |
| the Better Business Bureau. | | | | standards is contaminated. |
| That comes as no surprise to the federal | | | | Take the example of the New York-based company |
| government. After conducting a thorough review of | | | | that hawked its water purifiers in New York via |
| the home water treatment business, the U.S. General | | | | television advertisements suggesting that tap water |
| Accounting Office concluded recently that regulation | | | | contains such toxins as cancer-causing pesticides and |
| of home water delivery is incomplete and inadequate, | | | | industrial waste. One of the ads went so far as to |
| largely because it is fragmented among several | | | | picture a woman giving a child a drink from a faucet |
| different federal and independent agencies that have | | | | spewing a stream of orange and yellow water. (The |
| not coordinated their administrative efforts. The | | | | New York Attorney General's Office and the Federal |
| result, beyond the dishonest sales tactics and fraud | | | | Trade Commission later acted against the company |
| running rampant in the industry, is that consumers are | | | | and received more than $700,000 in consumer |
| left particularly vulnerable to buying units that don't | | | | redress. |