CWQA Position Statement
Product Standards and Validation

CWQA Position:

CWQA supports the voluntary standards development and validation system in Canada believing that it better serves the interests of consumer, business and regulatory officials than would transfer of control over such activities to a governmental entity. CWQA encourages continuation of the present systems and efforts to improve upon it and at the same time will not actively seek, whether by legislation or regulation, the requirement to certify products. CWQA will respond to governmental intervention so as to allow the greatest flexibility for the industry to respond to product validation.

Summary:

Because of the increased involvement of the Point-of-Use Water Quality Improvement Industry in the drinking water market, particularly concerning health-related contaminants, regulations requiring product validation are inevitable. Through CWQA the industry is heading toward product validation. However, only a small percentage of industry products have been voluntarily validated because of a lack of complete product standards, high cost and minimal marketplace incentives, including mandatory validation and consumer recognition of validation seals.