A new American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for shower filters has been announced, and the ANSI-accredited Water Quality Association Gold Seal program will provide product testing to that standard.

NSF/ANSI 177: Shower Filtration Systems - Aesthetic Effects is a consensus standard for shower filters designed to demonstrate both performance and the safety of shower filtration products. Free available chlorine, which is used to sanitize or disinfect a public or private water supply, can cause unpleasant chlorine odors in shower water and, sometimes, chlorine-related hair or skin irritations. Using the new standard, shower filtration product providers now can certify that their devices designed to reduce the amount of free available chlorine do what they claim safely.

NSF/ANSI 177 certification does the following:

• Determines free available chlorine reduction to verify performance.

• Evaluates product materials to ensure that they are safe.

• Tests structural integrity to ensure product durability.

• Ensures that product literature claims are accurate.

The standard was developed by the NSF Joint Committee on Drinking Water Treatment Units, which is composed of a balanced representation of public health regulators, manufacturers, and users. After testing by WQA, all shower filtration systems that meet the requirements of NSF/ANSI 177 will bear the WQA Gold Seal.
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