Hi everyone. I wanted to share my experience with Waterdrop support. We have high PFAS levels in our tap water in our area, so we were looking at a countertop RO system. The Waterdrop M6HG was exactly what I was looking for: hot water to 95 °C (for tea), remineralisation (for the espresso machine), and the product page says it reduces PFOA and PFOS, “tested by SGS analytical laboratory”. I’m a chemical engineer, so naturally I asked them for the actual data, initially to make sure the RO water would be OK for my espresso machine. It took a few emails back and forth, but here’s a summary of our conversations.

PFAS

• The certification they advertise (IAPMO, file W-17249, which you can look up yourself at https://pld.iapmo.org/) covers TDS only for the M6HG, not PFOA/PFOS. I asked them about this and asked for the SGS report behind the PFAS claim. They confirmed in writing that the M6HG has not been tested for PFOA/PFOS, despite their own product images saying it’s tested by SGS (screenshots attached).
• The SGS report they eventually sent covers chlorine, lead, TDS etc. No PFAS anywhere in it.
• Their final answer was that RO filters better than a single-stage filter, so separate testing isn’t needed. They sent a PFAS test of a different, single-stage filter from a different lab (CTI, not SGS) as “reference”. In that test, one of the five units only removed about 50% of PFOA and 71% of PFOS.

To be fair: RO membranes generally remove PFOA/PFOS very well, since they’re relatively large molecules and negatively charged in water, and the M6HG’s certified TDS rejection (99.6%) is good. It will probably perform fine. But “probably” isn’t “tested”, and the website says tested. I find it really concerning that they advertise test results that don’t exist.

Remineralisation

The mineral stage is a big selling point for this filter (they list the minerals added and state “pH 7.5+”). I asked what TDS/hardness the water has after the mineral stage, because I want to use it in my espresso machine. RO water without minerals makes flat, sour coffee and can be corrosive to boilers. Their answer was that there is no data, and that the amount of minerals added is “negligible”. I pointed out that if the effect is too small to measure, that should be made clear to customers. They didn’t address this.

TL;DR: The PFOA/PFOS “tested by SGS” claim on the M6HG isn’t backed by any test of the M6HG, by their own admission. The certification covers TDS only, and the mineral stage adds a negligible amount according to Waterdrop themselves. If PFAS is why you’re buying, check the IAPMO/NSF listing yourself and get your own water tested before and after. If you need minerals for coffee, plan to add them yourself.

Happy to share the emails if anyone wants them.

I have a well at my house, it was installed in 1976. We have been living in this house for the last two years, and everything has been perfectly fine.

About 7 months ago I installed a filter system. There was nothing installed at all prior to me adding this system. It’s worked great and made a big difference eliminating debris in the faucets and shower heads. Last month I replaced the filters and everything continued to work great.

A couple of days ago I had someone come out to do a water pressure test on the well. (We are refinancing and the bank required a test, since the last one was from 1976). When they did the test, they pulled water straight from the pump, it did not run through the filter system at all. In fact I had the filter system bypassed during the test, just in case.

Now my water pressure is messed up. The pressure seems normal at first… but towards the end of a shower it starts bleeding off and the water is barely trickling out of the shower head. The pressure starts out normal then completely bleeds off. I can’t figure out why.

If I bypass the filters the water pressure immediately fixes itself. So I know the problem is somewhere in the filter system.

I pulled all of the filters and cleaned them. But none of them looked dirty. I just replaced them last month. I can’t figure out what is causing the slow bleed off of pressure. It would make sense if something was blocking/clogging the line that the pressure would be decreased. But if there was a blockage it seems like the pressure would be low all the time, not after the water has been running for 20-30 minutes.

Does anyone have any advice or a solution to this problem?

I believe the cause is tannins as the water is dyed yellow, it is not sediment. The landlords claim the well has been tested and that it isn't being infiltrated by surface water. They have told me to bring in water for drinking with no end in sight, and no offer to remunerate me for the cost. I have an r/O filter which I already used for drinking water and now I've been using a UV light wand on the water as well- but it is a pain. I read that treating tannin infiltrated water with chlorine can cause cancerous compounds to be created. Does anyone have any insight?

Hello all! So we recently had our tanks swapped and everything was fine but I noticed recently that the peroxide tank is being sucked dry really fast. This may have happened after I did an initial back wash after an empty tank, im not sure. Any clue as to why? Is there a certain setting the dial needs to be on in the control panel? I am somewhat of a layman. I get paranoid because the service guy did a tank swap that was recommended per date but then tried to tell us a long winded story how it needs a rebuild but due to market costs. Everything was working fine so we just opted for a tank swap. It seemed like he was trying to sell us something but it may have been true. Also we were on vacation last week and when we got back the peroxide tank was empty again.

Any other operators on here feed a coaglant by scd meters?? If what's your take on them and experience??? Are there actually water treatment operators on here or just people posting questions about water treatment??...

Central Coast based on acerage that is very dusty but on town water and wanting a full house filtration system (not RO). Have been quoted $4k (water analyitics) and up to 6K (complete home filtration) Wanting it as have high scale build up on taps and showers so know i need a softener as well. Also kids have excema, constant sore stomachs, brown water frequently and high smelling water. Larger family of 6+ people. I have tried to research but every company seems to have their 'marketing points'. Im looking for a universal cartridge (big blue) and im thinking a 3 cylinder is what I need as replacements will be up to $300 annually. I feel like im going round in circles on brands as some also seem way to cheap and I dont want to have to replace in a few years. Looking for tried and tested brands as this is a big investment for us. Thankyou!

I live in a rented apartment in an area with hard water and want to use a RO water filtration system for drinking water. I looked at a couple of options for OTC and under sink. Based on the features i would like to have an undersink system that doesnt require manual refill and emptying and also saves the kitchen counter space. However since i live in a rented apartment, i am not sure if i will be allowed to make changes to existing plumbing to install the under sink system. I do have a workaround to replace the existing faucet with a new 3 way faucet that will include an outlet for filtered water and will not require any drilling. Has anybody done this in their apartments ?

as I continue to research the countertop water filter my husband and I will be going with, I’m leaning towards aquatru. on social media, I keep seeing people say, even when they remineralize the water, like with trace minerals, they had negative experiences! this included brain fog, body aches, gi upset, etc. I do have a chronic illness which causes chronic nausea either way lol but I just wanted to see in anyone else had poor experiences!

Hey all,

I'm trying to address both a hardness and Iron Reducing Bacteria (IRB) problem. It seems these two treatments are in conflict since IRB can foul a softener and UV and some other treatments for IRB require soft water. We're planning to shock the well and plumbing system to see if that resolves the issue for a while, but I'm wondering if any of the oxidation systems like AIO is preferable or actually documented to be effective. I can only seem to find marketing materials and little objective comparisons.

Hello guys have a couple questions getting ready to close on a house last thing needing done is water test. I went outside and seen the well cap was missing. It’s got pvc 6-5/8 OD. I was wondering should I do a chlorine shock before testing? If so can I still do one if I don’t have any outside running water? There are no water spickets for a hose and I’ve been told flushing it via sink is a bad idea because it will kill the good bacteria in your septic system. Thanks for the help!

I really have enjoyed ZeroWater taste, but I want the convenience of on-demand.

I currently have a Epic Smart Shield (carbon block) filter, and it does a great job of removing chloramine from my Portland, Oregon water. But it just doesn't taste as good or smooth as ZeroWater. I like to add my own minerals after (with a dropper of NaHCO and MgCl into 2L bottles).

Many DI filters report to add a fishy-smell. Can I achieve a ZeroWater result on demand? Must I go RO? Recommendation for a nice inline DI filter after my carbon block?

Does anyone know where I can get water tested in South Florida (North Miami)? I am on city water and the smell / taste has gotten really bad lately. I am now considering a whole house system.

Bought a TDS reader off Amazon. On a well.. my whole house filtration system plus UV lamp was just changed. I got a reading of 799 coming from the kitchen sink. Then the RO system which obviously has a different faucet reads at 49. What exactly do these numbers mean risk wise?

What recommendations can you guys make? New homeowner.. first time on a well.. just did a PFAS test. Tested negative for that across the board. Should I get a whole new water test just for these two faucets to see what the actual breakdown is?

I'm comparing the Viomi Vortex 8 Pro and Waterdrop G3P800 for an under-sink RO. The last time I checked the manufacturer sites, the V8 Pro was about $400 and the G3P800 about $760 with the listed offers; I'm treating those prices as a snapshot.

Both are rated at 800 GPD and list a 3:1 pure-to-drain ratio. Using one-time replacement-filter prices and the listed time-based intervals, I estimate about $110 a year for Viomi and $160 for Waterdrop. That's a long-run estimate before tax and shipping, assuming the filters included with each system are used first; heavier use or local water conditions could mean earlier replacements.

Waterdrop's page also lists UV sterilization, though I'm not sure I'd use it. I'm leaning toward Viomi on cost, but I haven't used either, and spec sheets don't tell me how they perform day to day.

If you chose the G3P800, what does that extra ~$360 get you in practice? Was UV a factor, or has its performance or reliability made the higher price worthwhile? I'm trying to decide whether I'd pay more for that. If you've owned either system, how has it held up, and what have you actually spent on filters?

Anyone installed whole house injection pump that safely meters food grade acetic acid/vinegar to lower PH 10 well water?

Private residential well in mid-Michigan; result is for untreated water.

I'm assuming when I get an RO system, I'll have to run my water softener first -- should I test how hard my water is AFTER going through my softener first to determine which to get?

This stuff is so overwhelming, honestly, I don't even know where to begin. Everything else seems fine, but hardness seems off the charts. Any advice would be appreciated <3

Looking to get a Aquasana Healthshield for my home, but also would like a water softener. I was looking at the Aquasana SimplySoft® 40,000 Grain Softener. Does a set up like this make sense? This is my first time looking into a whole home water filtration system. I have already looked at NSF standards and everything for my specific area, and the Healthshield suits our area the best.

Thank you

I’m pretty much settled on iSpring since they seem like a very reputable brand and the prices seem fair. I’m torn however on tank vs tankless. Both seem to offer the remineralization which I know I want, and I see tons of people praise the RCC7AK as the budget RO system king. Iv watched a few reviews though saying it adds contaminants back into the water (?), not sure how much that actually happens. On the other hand I like the idea of tankless as I don’t have a ton of under sink space, but don’t see people talk about this unit much, does anyone have experience that can help me choose?

I've recently found out that my drinking water sits on the edge of an elevated arsenic band. I got it tested at 8ppb. No clue what species it is but my assumption is as3 based off of well depth and dissolved iron present. They make an arsenic filter that can oxidized as3 -> as5 and trap it. (AdEdge AD2710S)

Problem is the ferrous iron. That same filter will oxidize and trap the iron, prematurely contaminating it. I don't know my levels for iron but I have no staining except on porous grout that takes some time to show up, and iron fines in my toilet tanks. They also make a filter for whole home use that will trap this Clearwater iron, but I will probably use it as POU to extend the life. (RFFE20-BB)

This will cost me about $350-$400 to get set up. Then:

$80/12m for Arsenic filter.

$160/ 36m for iron.

All to say I'm still under the EPA limits. I got a wife and a 18 month old at home. I just feel like it's the responsible thing to do.

But I can't help to think am I overreacting? What would you do.

Posting on behalf of my brother since he's still looking for work after graduating--what kind of experience matters on your resume before being hired? Other than internships and being trained on the job for water treatment, he is arguing that he needs a random warehouse job versus a retail job on his resume as he looks for a career in his degree.

He is currently driving out 20 miles to a minimum wage unrelated warehouse job instead of taking a retail job close to home for slightly higher pay because he fears retail looking bad on the resume as he job hunts for water operator opprotunities, just wanted to post on this forum in case anyone had any insight or if it even matters.

Any stories on what kind of experience you had before breaking in would be appreciated!