A couple filters have been marketing themselves based on their ability to remove total dissolved solids (TDS). However, TDS is not a measure of water contaminants.
Much of what constitutes TDS is actually healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium, which Aquagear is designed not to remove. In fact, if water has a TDS reading of zero, that means it does not contain healthy minerals, but could still contain plenty of unhealthy contaminants. According to the NSF Consumer Fact Sheet on TDS, “A TDS meter does not directly measure heavy metal contaminants such as lead or arsenic in the water. A TDS reading is not an indication as to whether a water filter is working properly to reduce these contaminants.” Most importantly, “the presence of contaminants (such as heavy metals) cannot be determined by measuring TDS.”
In addition to preserving healthy minerals, a stage of the Aquagear filter called the ion exchange process adds minerals to your water. This can increase TDS. In this process, the filter uses an ion exchange media to infuse the water with minerals while trapping contaminants. This is a critical part of Aquagear’s superior filtration technology.
So how do you evaluate the efficacy of a filter? The gold standard is to send the filter to an independent and ISO 17025 accredited lab, which we have done. We take our product testing very seriously, and try to be as transparent as possible with our customers about the results.
You can find our recent 2021 test data here on our website. You can also read more about TDS here on our Essential Reading article.
If we could use household meters to measure filter efficacy, that would be great, but when it comes to accurately measuring the removal of harmful contaminants, testing in an accredited lab is the trusted standard. It’s the only way to know that your filter is providing the very best water for you and your family.
If you have any other questions regarding contaminant removal or TDS, please email us at questions@goaquagear.com. Product performance is our number one priority, and we are happy to answer any questions you have.