In an industry riddled with unvalidated and misleading performance claims, having a trusted, independent “third party” organization like IAPMO R&T, NSF or WQA evaluate a water filtration system against an "official" standard or protocol that has been developed by industry experts, public health officials and consumer representatives, gives you the ability to make a sound and informed choice about the performance claims of the system.
Some water filter manufacturers base their performance claims on internal test results from their own laboratories, but you would have to know them very well to trust whether the performance claims they make for their products are true or misleading. Having a trusted testing organization “validate” performance claims gives you the peace of mind you are looking for when it comes to selecting the right system for you and your family.