This is a big deal – the industry is self-policing to help protect consumers from predatory and/or misinformed vendors. It was my great honor to work with the rest of the team on revising the latest Glossary of Terms.
LISLE, Ill. – The Water Quality Association’s revised Code of Ethics, which guides members in the use of marketing terms aligned with those published in the WQA Knowledge Base Glossary, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2020. One specific concern addressed by the revisions is companies using the term “water softener” inconsistent with the way industry professionals understand and use it.
“We’re providing marketing guidance to avoid consumer confusion based on how companies market their products,” said WQA Executive Director Pauli Undesser. “Industry professionals have defined terms for saltless water treatment devices in the WQA glossary, and we expect our members to use those terms appropriately.”
To give the industry time to adapt to the change, WQA posted the revised code on its website last spring and has been answering questions, proactively contacting companies misusing terms and providing expertise on the issue to its members as needed throughout 2019. The revisions will be explained and discussed again in detail in a session planned for the first day of the 2020 WQA Convention & Exposition April 1-3 in Orlando, FL.
All WQA members pledge to abide by the Code of Ethics. If an investigation finds a member company has violated the Code and created consumer confusion, the company can be subject to cease-and-desist directives or even termination of their WQA membership.
Any member with specific questions related to the WQA Code of Ethics should contact Quality Manager Tambra Thomas.