Misleading claims spark water filter warning

Media Release: Misleading claims spark water filter warning

City West Water is warning the community to be wary of unscrupulous water filter salespeople that are misleading householders and convincing them to spend hundreds of dollars unnecessarily.

City West Water Managing Director, Anne Barker, has expressed concern at salespeople misrepresenting the local water utility and providing false information about the quality of drinking water.

”There have been a number of reports over recent weeks of individuals claiming to be from City West Water and calling customers’ homes informing the customer that they have won a water filtration unit, but that the customer will need to pay for the attachments,” Ms Barker said

“Customers are also being incorrectly advised that water filters are needed to remove potentially harmful substances without saying that they are not present in our water supply.

“In most cases, water filters are an unnecessary expense as the quality of the existing water supply is excellent.

“Some customers may choose to purchase a water filter for reasons such as taste, there is no need to filter tap water for health and safety purposes. “

Ms Barker said that many filters on the market can be quite expensive and encourages customers to weigh up the claimed benefits against the initial cost, ongoing maintenance expenses and safety risks.

“It is essential that water filters be maintained and regularly cleaned or replaced to continue to do their job – where filter units have not been properly maintained, they will actually lead to a decrease in water quality.”

City West Water routinely monitors the quality of domestic drinking water by testing samples from customers’ taps. It regularly reports these water quality results to the Department of Health and Essential Services Commission.

“We undertake routine monitoring in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Regulations 2005 and the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to ensure the quality of our drinking water.”

Water quality results are available in the City West Water annual Water Quality Report which is located online at citywestwater.com.au