Drinking Water

Concerned about the safety of drinking water, consumers have increasingly turned to home water treatment units. Gross sales of these units grew almost 50 percent during the latter half of the 1980s, totaling nearly $1.8 billion by 1990. Yet, as sales of these units have increased, so have reports of questionable sales practices and false claims of product effectiveness. This report looks at (1) the consumer and health concerns associated with these units, (2) the regulatory controls that protect the public from fraudulent claims or increased health risks, and (3) whether the Environmental Protection Agency or other federal agencies should take additional steps to protect the public.

GAO found that: (1) dishonest HWTU marketers use such misleading sales practices as scare tactics, overstated HWTU capabilities, and false claims of government endorsement of their products; (2) ineffective HWTU pose health risks to consumers through continued exposure to contaminants; (3) consumers who need information on HWTU often do not receive it, since public education efforts regarding HWTU efforts focus on distributing information on request; (4) although several federal organizations have some jurisdiction over HWTU sale and use, no single authority exists to ensure that units perform as claimed; (5) although 21 states regulate some aspect of HWTU sales, installation, or use, only 3 states review HWTU test data before allowing sales; and (6) few HWTU manufacturers have had their units certified to meet voluntary product performance and promotion standards.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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