Question 1

Where does this water quality information come from?

Accepted Answer

Utility-level data (name, PWSID, population served, water source, and recent health-based violations) comes directly from the US EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWA) public dataset, refreshed monthly. Regional contaminant categories are grounded in public-domain US EPA and state water-board sources, including the US EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations, the US EPA ECHO drinking-water dashboard, and California State Water Resources Control Board publications. Specific source links are shown with each report.

Question 2

What is a PWSID and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

A PWSID (Public Water System ID) is the unique identifier EPA assigns to every community water system in the United States. If we show you a PWSID, that's the official EPA record for the utility likely serving your ZIP code, so you can cross-reference it on the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System if you want to dig deeper.

Question 3

What does 'health-based violation' mean?

Accepted Answer

EPA classifies drinking-water violations into two groups: health-based (where a contaminant exceeded the federal Maximum Contaminant Level or a required treatment technique was not met) and monitoring/reporting (paperwork issues). Our tool only shows health-based violations from the last five years &mdash; the ones that actually relate to what's in the water. 'Resolved' means the utility returned to compliance; 'Unaddressed' means EPA has not yet recorded a return to compliance.

Question 4

My utility shows 'in EPA compliance' &mdash; does that mean my water is clean?

Accepted Answer

Not exactly. Federal EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) haven't been meaningfully updated in nearly 20 years, and many common contaminants &mdash; including several disinfection byproducts like bromodichloromethane and dichloroacetic acid &mdash; have no federal legal limit at all. A water utility can be in full EPA compliance while still delivering measurable arsenic, disinfection byproducts (TTHMs, HAA5), chromium-6, nitrate, and lead-service-line leachate at levels well above modern health-based guidelines published by the US EPA, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), and independent research organizations like EWG. That is why even compliant utilities benefit from point-of-entry and point-of-use filtration. The TipaTech T-18 and LotusDY are engineered specifically to help reduce those legally-allowed-but-still-present contaminants.

Question 5

Why does EWG's Tap Water Database show contaminants for my utility when your tool shows no violations?

Accepted Answer

Both are correct &mdash; they are measuring different things. Our tool shows EPA compliance violations, which are failures of federal legal limits. EWG's database shows actual contaminant detections, which include constituents present at levels below federal legal limits but above stricter health-based guidelines. A utility can have zero EPA violations while EWG shows dozens of detected contaminants. EWG's data comes from the same state water board reports that EPA uses &mdash; they just measure detection against tighter, health-protective benchmarks rather than the older federal MCLs. We link directly to EWG's page for every utility so you can see both views side by side.

Question 6

Is this a guarantee that these contaminants are in my water?

Accepted Answer

No. The categories shown are the contaminants most commonly discussed for your region based on public records, not a live sample of your home. Actual presence and levels vary by utility, season, and household plumbing. For a definitive reading, request your utility's annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) or arrange an independent lab test.

Question 7

How do the T-18 and LotusDY systems address these contaminants?

Accepted Answer

The TipaTech T-18 is a whole-home filtration system engineered to help reduce chlorine, disinfection byproducts, sediment, scale, and dissolved gases at the point-of-entry. The LotusDY is an under-sink system engineered to help reduce a wider range of regulated micro-contaminants at the drinking-water tap, including constituents often associated with PFAS, nitrate, and arsenic concerns. Both systems are NSF/ANSI-tested and independently certified &mdash; see /certifications.html for lab reports.

Question 8

Does Crystal Flow H2O ship nationwide?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Crystal Flow H2O is an authorized TipaTech dealer shipping T-18 and LotusDY systems anywhere in the U.S. with free delivery. Crystal Flow H2O sells and supports water treatment equipment; we are not a licensed contractor and we do not perform plumbing or installation work. Installation is performed by independent, licensed plumbing contractors. On request we can refer you to a licensed installer from our vetted network; that installer is an independent business, sets its own price and schedule, and you contract with them directly.

Water Quality Report by ZIP Code

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Your personal water-quality snapshot

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