FAQ's

What types of water contaminants are there?
How do I know an innowave® system will do what it
claims to do?
What type of performance testing should I be looking for?
Do innowave® systems require periodic maintenance,
and by whom?
How reliable are innowave® systems in providing
high quality water over time?
How fresh is the water?
What are the differences in the technologies used for
treating drinking water?
Isn't Bottled Water just as good?
Why not ordinary tap water?
What are the financial benefits to an organization providing
an innowave® system?
How important is healthful water to our employees?
Will water replace sugary soft drinks and coffee?
Will water consumption increase if organizations purchase
a water treatment unit?
What is the cost of the system?

What types of water contaminants are there?
Water contaminants are generally grouped into one of four classes, including microbiological, organic, inorganic, and radioactive. Each innowave® system performs differently in reducing contaminants, dependent upon the technologies used. innowave has prepared technology comparison charts to explain how each system performs for the reduction of each class of contaminant. Refer to the product pages on the web site or innowave literature for specific information.

How do I know an innowave® system will do
what it claims to do?
innowave® systems are tested and certified to the highest available industry standards. Testing and certification of point-of-use drinking water systems is not a requirement, but is strictly voluntary for manufacturers of water treatment equipment. This lack of standardization can lead to vast quality differences in water treatment systems. When making a product selection, be sure to always ask if the product has been tested and certified. Independent testing is your best assurance that the product will perform as the manufacturer claims it will.

What type of performance testing
should I be looking for?
Testing and certification to ANSI/NSF standards and the Water Quality Association Gold Seal are two highly reputable programs. Products that carry the NSF mark or the WQA Gold Seal have been evaluated to assure that the system or components of the system will perform as the manufacturer claims they will and the literature that is being used to sell the product is truthful.

Do innowave® systems require periodic maintenance,
and by whom?
innowave® systems require maintenance only twice per year. Dependent on the type of system, preventive maintenance might include changing a filter, softener or UV lamp. Each system should also be sanitized once per year. In most cases, preventive maintenance is routinely performed by an innowave dealer.

How reliable are innowave® systems in providing
high quality water over time?
With preventive maintenance performed at six-month intervals, the quality of the water will be highly consistent over the life of the equipment. With distillation systems in particular, water will be of extremely high quality as water must first boil to convert to steam, leaving impurities behind.

How fresh is the water?
innowave® systems produce water at the point-of-use, which means that the possibility of the water being recontaminated is minimized. This eliminates concerns associated with bottled water, where water can sit stagnate for long periods of time and bacterial buildup can occur. With an innowave® system, there is not additional plumbing for the water to go through, the water does not sit stagnate for long periods of time, and the risk of recontamination is minimized.

What are the differences in the technologies used
for treating drinking water?
Distillation, reverse osmosis, ultra violet light, ozonation and filtration are among the most common water treatment technologies. You can easily refer to a technology comparison and compare the differences using a handy technology comparison chart. innowave highly recommends that you consider how a system performs against all classes of contaminants, including microbiological, organic, inorganic, and radioactive contaminants. You may also want to visit the Water Quality Association web site for information regarding various water treatment options and issues.

Isn't Bottled Water just as good?
If you are currently a bottled water user, you should know that the FDA regulates bottled water. FDA standards for bottled water only require that the quality of the water be as good as tap water, which is monitored by the USEPA. This means that the bottled water you drink may only be ordinary tap water, and be perfectly legal to sell. About half of all bottled water is repackaged municipal water, according to the USEPA. innowave recommends that if you are currently using bottled water, that you contact your supplier to find out how and where the water was treated before delivery.

Why not ordinary tap water?
Your local municipality's water is of sufficient quality to meet USEPA standards and not cause you adverse health effects. As a company, we believe in educating and informing consumers about our products and treatment technologies, so each customer can make the best choice for their situation. However, innowave prides itself in the fact that we always produce water that exceeds USEPA standards. Drinking water quality is an individual choice, just as the foods you choose to eat.

What are the financial benefits to an organization
providing an innowave® system?
According to the American Journal of Public Health, 35% of all gastro-intestinal illnesses is waterborne and preventable. Many of these illnesses can result in sick days and the financial implications can be significant. In many instances, the cost of one person being sick at home for one day due to gastro-intestinal illness can be as high as $500 to an employer. Eliminating just one sick day during the year as the result of providing high quality drinking water can often justify the expense of an innowave® system.

If you are currently a bottled water user, another consideration is the risk of workman's compensation due to injury caused by lifting bottles. This can be virtually eliminated by replacing your bottled water with a bottleless innowave® system.

How important is healthful water to our employees?
Besides the financial benefits, an innowave® system will help to enhance the health and well being of your company's associates through proper hydration. Drinking water assists the body in the cleansing process. Water also supports our body's nutritive and digestive processes. With water being 70% of our body, the reason is obvious as to why clean drinking water is important.

Will water replace sugary soft drinks and coffee?
On average, people drink 4.5 servings of caffeinated or alcoholic beverages a day, according to a Nutrition Information Center survey. In order to remain hydrated throughout the day, we know that the medical community recommends we consume 8 glasses of water a day. Insufficient amounts of water intake - even a 2 to 3% loss of body water - can cause symptoms of dehydration. Those who rely on sugary drinks and coffee for their daily liquid intake, are more likely to suffer from grogginess, dry skin and dehydration.

Incorporating innowave® drinking water systems into an overall wellness plan can help in reducing consumption of coffee and sugary soft drinks. Many experts will tell you that coffee and sugary soft drinks are okay in moderation, but not good for you when taken in excess. Far and away, water is preferred over any other beverage by medical professionals for keeping your body hydrated and healthy. Besides smoking cessation, helping your employees kick the sugar and caffeine habit may be one of the best preemptive wellness programs you can implement.

An innowave® point of use water treatment system will satisfy employees with cool, great tasting, satisfying drinking water every day. Since all innowave® systems treat water at the point-of-use, there are never heavy bottles to lift, store or replace which eliminates chances of injury and unnecessary time spent on a non-business activity. Also, incorporating safe, clean water into employee wellness programs can help reduce employee absenteeism, therefore increasing work productivity.

Will water consumption increase if organizations
purchase a water treatment unit?
Water consumption should be a part of our normal daily routine, since it is required in order to stay healthy and properly hydrated. With a water treatment system in the office break room, employees are more likely to drink more water because of the health benefits associated to purified drinking water and the growing popularity of drinking water in general. We are encouraged by health officials to drink eight 12 oz. glasses of water a day and with placement of an innowave® system, consumption is more likely to increase, therefore making a healthier work atmosphere.

According to a survey conducted by innowave® among 500 human resource managers, the most common types of beverages supplied by employers were water and coffee. Two-thirds responded their water quality was bad or fair which also coincides with the National Consumer Water Survey commissioned by the Water Quality Association stating that 1 in 3 adults believe his or her water is not as safe as it should be. One in five is dissatisfied with the quality of his or her water supply and nearly 60% believe the water they drink can affect their health.

What is the cost of the system?
innowave® systems can deliver high quality water for just pennies a gallon. Compared to bottled water, it's a definite bargain. There are various systems to meet your contamination reduction needs and your budget.
For more information about costs, contact your local innowave Dealer to discuss a price plan that best meets your organization's needs.