QNET marks its commitment to the World Water Day with its NSF-Certified water filtration system, “HomePure Nova”

On 22 March every year World Water Day is celebrated around the world to create the awareness about the importance of water and its conservation especially with the increasing climate change, environment pollution and ecosystem which affect and results into the water-crises consequently threatening the health and livelihoods of millions of people around the globe who live without safe drinking water at home.

As such, this Day is an opportunity to learn more about water related issues, be inspired to tell others and take action to make a difference. So, World Water Day is celebrated by many organizations, companies, associations…etc via organizing several events, distribute messages through social media, TV, educational events based on the importance of clean and safe water and conservative measures, competitions, etc.

For its part, QNET, the global direct-selling company, marks its commitment and continued support for this day by providing clean, safe drinking water to everyone through HomePure Nova, one of the flagship products of the company that is best sold in Algeria and which is certified by NSF International and the Water Quality Association (WQA).

HomePure Nova provides nine-stage water filtration. With a recognized system of a 35 ⁺ UltraTech® fiber membrane, it eliminates 99.9999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses.

As part of it Social Responsibility values, QNET has already made a donation of HomePure Nova water filtration systems to the University Hospital of Beni Messous in Algiers including two Units to the Pediatric Ward (Children’s Cancer Center) and one to the Hematology Service for Adults besides to one unit offered to the Nursing Home of Bab Ezzouar.

For more information about the NSF Prestigious Mark which is one of the most respected independent certification organizations in existence today, Mr. Christian Kurdy, Managing Director of NSF MENA discussed the topic in the following interview:

1)NSF Certification - What is it and why it matters / Why is it important?

Founded in 1944, NSF International is committed to protecting and improving human health and the environment on a global scale. NSF International is an independent organization that provides standards development, product certification, testing, auditing, education and risk management for public health and the environment.

Manufacturers, regulators and consumers alike look to NSF International for the development of public health standards and certification that help protect the world’s food, water, health and consumer products.

Recognized by regulatory agencies at the local, state, federal and international level, NSF certification demonstrates that a product complies with all standard requirements. NSF conducts periodic facility audits and product testing to verify that the product continues to comply with the standard.

Why Do Companies Seek NSF Certification?

Independent, third-party testing and certification through NSF helps organizations:

Demonstrate compliance with national or international standards and regulations,

Demonstrate independent validation and verification of their commitment to safety and quality,

Increase credibility and acceptance with retailers, consumers and regulators,

Benefit from enhanced product quality and safety.

2)What is the process and the conditions required for earning NSF certification?

The NSF certification process consists in a series of 7 easy steps:

1.Your company submits an application and a dedicated account manager is designated to help you thru the certification process,

2.You provide product formulation, toxicology and product use information,

3.Our technical team reviews formulations and/or parts lists,

4.We perform an onsite audit of the production facility and collect or request samples,

5.Our laboratory conducts testing,

6.We complete a final technical evaluation,

7.NSF certification is granted (and maintained annually) and your company is officially listed.

3)How do I know if the product is NSF listed?

Our listing is available online and is maintained daily by our teams. It is possible to check by products, companies or standards in any region by following the link: https://www.nsf.org/certified-products-systems

4)What is the impact of water scarcity in the Arab countries, especially Algeria, on public health ... and the challenges facing Arab water security?

NA – I have not enough information to comment on this particular question, although addressing water scarcity and water quality by adopting or specifying products and materials which have been tested by a third party for their performance and their health effects is certainly a step towards better quality.

5)In your opinion, what are the best solutions currently to meet the growing demand for clean water and how secure it will be in the future for future generations?

Many solutions do exist to address the growing demand for clean water and these can be implemented at a residential or municipal level. NSF writes standards and provides testing and certification services for point-of-use (POU) and point-of-entry (POE) drinking water treatment systems and components. Testing can include material safety, structural integrity and contaminant reduction testing. The NSF POU/POE standards address the wide array of drinking water treatment technologies on the market today, including adsorptive medias, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, ceramic filters, pleated filters, ultraviolet (UV), distillation, reduction-oxidation (redox), shower filters and more. Each NSF standard sets thorough health requirements and performance criteria for specific types of products. Contaminant reduction claims can be certified under each standard and can vary according to each water treatment technology capability. Systems that utilize more than one treatment technology may be certified under multiple standards.

6)Some countries suffer from pollution in the water that is provided to the consumer, in your view, on what basis the right water filtration system is chosen, and how is it done?

From a testing and certification body perspective we would always support the approach were a product is assessed by a third party. A couple of years ago, an independent survey was conducted to gauge consumer awareness and the purchasing driver of certified vs. non certified products and we found out that 38 % of the general population was willing to pay more for a certified product that is independently tested and certified. 45 % of consumers even looked for certification information or approval on product when shopping and 75% were willing to purchase a product with a certification mark over one without when comparing two identical products. Moreover, 82 % of consumers surveyed were willing to pay up to 5% more for certified products, 24 % willing to pay between 5 and 10 % more and 8 % willing to pay up to 20 % more…