The Clean Water for All initiative was developed by a WQA task force, to empower Americans to significantly reduce or remove unwanted contaminants found in their drinking water. The task force chair, Josh Greene – A.O Smith, has been leading the charge in creating federal legislation to enable funding of eligible consumers to defray the cost to purchase and install certified point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) water treatment systems in households that are reliant on well-water.
Language for the legislation has been drafted with the office of Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) with the hopes of introducing the bill in early 2022. The bill would authorize a new grant program at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that would cover:
- the purchase of an eligible drinking water quality improvement product or a replacement certified filter component;
- the approved installation by a qualified third-party installer of an eligible drinking water quality improvement product;
- the purchase and approved installation by a qualified third-party installer of a replacement certified filter component;
- the approved maintenance of an eligible drinking water quality improvement product; or
- qualified water quality tests to support products and services.
The grant would apply to households and communities whose drinking water exceeds or has the potential to exceed maximum contaminant levels at the tap. This includes health contaminants “such as lead, arsenic, nitrate, nitrite, and volatile organic compounds, as well as federally unregulated contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and hexavalent chromium (chrome–6).
- Point-of-entry (POE) systems treat water before it enters the property or home, while point-of-use (POU) systems are installed to treat water where needed, like kitchen and bathroom taps.
- POEs or POUs – installed at the individual home or business can be used to achieve potable water, providing a final barrier against unwanted contaminants in their drinking water. In areas where there are significant deficiencies in financial resources and technical support, POEs/POUs may be the best treatment option.
- POEs/POUs can address drinking water concerns, are on the market, and quick to install. Like all household appliances, POEs/POUs require occasional maintenance.
- POEs/POUs safety and performance can be verified through testing and certification to American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited standards by ANSI accredited third-party certification bodies.
- POEs/POUs ANSI standards to certify products includes testing to significantly reduce or remove health contaminants found in drinking water, such as lead, arsenic, nitrate/nitrite, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and unregulated contaminants like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and hexavalent chromium (chrome-6).