Article I

General Obligations Industry members shall conduct themselves as informed, law abiding citizens. They shall be informed of and adhere to those federal, provincial and local laws, statutes, ordinances, codes and regulations applicable to the industry and to their businesses such as those dealing with restraint of trade, consumer protection, truth in advertising, truth in lending, selling, sanitation, registration and effluent disposal.

Article II

Obligations to the Public Industry members shall dedicate themselves to sound and competitive business practices. Specifically, they shall strive to:

A. Compete lawfully and honestly.

B. Build their businesses on the merits of their own products, services and abilities and not falsely disparage the products, services or abilities of competitors, water purveyors or others.

C. Accurately represent the characteristics or effects of the source water supply.

D. Accurately represent the characteristics or effects of the water improvement process or its products.

E. Accurately represent the benefits of the products or services that are to be provided and the changes to be made.

F. Accurately represent their credentials, training, experience and abilities and those of their employees and agents.

G. Base product performance, benefit or other promotional claims either verbal or written on factual data obtained from tests conducted by personnel technically competent to conduct such tests following scientifically valid test procedures which data is in existence and available at the time such claims are made.

H. Avoid the omission of material facts in promoting their products or services if the effect would be to mislead or misrepresent.

I. Be familiar with and adhere to the Water Quality Improvement Industry Promotion Guidelines.

Article III

Obligations to the Customer Industry members shall serve their customers competently, honestly and promptly. Specifically, they shall strive to:

A. Be open and honest in their dealing with their customers and potential customers.

B. Factually represent their products and services to their customers.

C. Ensure that their products or services are properly applied or installed when they are responsible for such application or installation.

D. Respond promptly to customer complaints.

E. Provide for the availability of timely and competent service for their products.

F. Inform their customers of the maintenance and service requirements and related costs.

G. Honour contracts and warranties without undue delay.

Article IV

Obligations to Professionalism Industry members shall maintain and advance their knowledge and skills in the technologies utilized in the water quality improvement industry. Specifically, they shall strive to:

A. Ensure that their employees and agents, through continuing education, have a practical working knowledge of the capabilities of the products and services they provide.

B. Improve their own professional expertise by staying abreast of industry technological and scientific developments.

C. Adhere to and promote the business ethics embodied in this Code.

© Canadian Water Quality Association 1994

Available here in PDF format