We all remember where we were on September 11th 2001. That certainly was a day that will live forever in infamy; regardless of your politics,(more…)
Category: Opinions
Greg’s opinions – these are mine alone, and do not reflect the opinion of anyone else unless explicitly stated otherwise
PWQA 54th Annual Convention and Trade Show
Pacific Water Quality Association 2011 54th Annual Convention and Trade Show Pacific Water Quality Association 2011 54th Annual Convention and Trade Show(more…)
Rachel’s Dream
Wishing Well International Foundation invites the entire water purification industry to show their support and commit to raising $30,000 to honor the memory of Rachel Beckwith. www.active.com/donate/Rachelsdream
Socialism in Action…Spying on Softener Owners
I read this article today and I suppose I should be shocked, but I guess I’m not…just very, very disappointed.
A California sanitation district is spying on, and investigating tax-paying citizens in a misguided effort to eliminate water softening systems. – Talk about a violation of basic human rights! It certainly boggles the mind that this actually happens in the United States of America. What’s next, door-to-door anti smoking inspections? – Can you say “Papers please”?
The misguided anti-softener agenda continues in southern California and it appears that in spite of evidence to the contrary, certain legislators choose politics of emotion instead of logic and reason. They continue their unwarranted persecution of water softener owners.
Owning a water softener reduces the use of harmful chemical cleaners that are laced with countless toxic chemicals. Water softeners have been shown to prolong the life of household appliances like water heaters while reducing net energy consumption.
Old water softeners using outdated daytimer and “blind-metering” technology can indeed be wasteful of salt, but when one considers new water softeners like the Patriot Twin Analyst that incorporate resin saturation sensors, Evertech software, twin alternating tanks, and upflow regeneration technologies it is mere foolishness to dare overlook the actual environmental benefit of owning a water softener – It makes fiscal and environmental sense.
Bottle Drops, Utilities and Water Dealers
I read this article and it reminded me of two issues we still encounter in our industry:
Water Quality Improvement dealers and water utilities still don’t get along as well as they should..
Certain water quality improvement marketing techniques are outdated and borderline deceptive.
Water is the lifeblood of all industry, our very civilization hinges on the quality and quantity of water that we have available. Water utilities are tasked with a difficult job: Deliver lots of water at a cheap price. Since the vast majority of water delivered by a utility is never used within the home or consumed by humans, it makes no sense to deliver extremely clean water throughout a city; it would be cost-prohibitive and illogical. It makes far more sense to deliver a “utility-grade” water through the entire system; water that meets or exceeds minimum standards and is generally usable. Individual users can then (at their own expense) improve their water quality to meet their specific standards or requirements for drinking, bathing, cleaning or business/industry. Utilities live in constant fear of being sued by consumers, so they never want to even hint that their water isn’t “perfect” and “pristine”.
It is time for us all to be realistic: Utilities do the very best job that they can within the operational and financial restrictions placed upon them. Utility-grade water in the United States is better than many other nations but it is NOT perfect and there is nothing wrong with educating end-users about products/services to make their water better. Utility managers need to acknowledge that they provide a utility-grade water, and that there is indeed room for improvement in quality and even aesthetics like taste, and odor.
Water quality improvement dealers need to realize that the utility is their friend; delivering good water that can usually be significantly improved without spending too much of their customer’s money. I wish more dealers would do business the way that my ProFlow dealers do, and spend more on water quality training, research and education than they do on marketing. Be the best, don’t just tell people that you are!
Bottle-drops and other similar water-quality marketing techniques frequently concern consumers, especially when the water dealership has words like “environmental” in their name. There are better ways to do business in the 21st century, and certainly better ways to begin your relationship with a prospective new customer.
There are many ways to market yourself to prospective customers, but the best way is to so a good job at a fair price.
The WQA’s Code of Ethics is very helpful to dealers who need guidance in these matters.
Soft Water not for Drinking? – Is softened water corrosive?
Hard water contains calcium and/or magnesium ions. These ions make soap hard to lather, giving hard water its name. For water to be called “soft”, it must be devoid of these hardness ions. There is a significant difference between “naturally soft” water and “ion exchange softened” water.