Hi guys! Yea, it’s been a loooooong time since I posted anything here on ETS, but I got a question and hope someone here can give me an answer.

I received an email from someone asking me what brand and type of water purification tablets am I selling on my website and that come with some of my SOS Kits.

When I told him they’re called “Aquatabs,” he fired back several emails saying they are NOT approved for use in the US by the FDA/EPA.

I told him I purchased these Aquatabs in large quantities from a supplier in the US and they are also sold here in Europe/Italy (where I live) too. But he keeps insisting they are NOT approved for use in the USA by the FDA/EPA.

This fella sounds like he's pretty intelligent, not some A-hole shooting off his mouth and so that's why I am asking you guys here about these Aquatabs.

They are manufactured in Wexford - Ireland by a company called Medentech Ltd . And so I would appreciate someone’s input on this matter provided they really do know the answer.

Yes I know there are several types of water purification tablets on the market and some are better than others. I am not looking for a class on this subject as I am well aware of these others water purification tablets. I just want to know for sure from someone who is somewhat an authority on this topic, okey-dokey?

Thanks for your time, I’ll be waiting and watching for an answer. And just in case you want to know more about me, just click on my name.

as far as i know, aquatabs are not EPA certified.

acording to thier web site they are approved by the US EPA, the worl health organization and they have a NSF/ANZI certifacation.


http://www.aquatabs.ca/index.php?pid=10

Their descripton says that it is Chlorine and not Chlorine Dioxide.
Chlorine cannot kill Crypto-Cysts and becomes less effective in dirty water. I would switch to selling Chlorine Dioxide; you can get it from Katadyn.

Actually, the active ingredient, dichloroisocyanurate, is approved by the EPA. However, the EPA approves chemicals for different purposes, like a sanitizer or pesticide or a water purifier. So, that's two questions--what kind of EPA certification are we talking about? And are Aquatabs EPA certified? If the manufacturer, Medentech, doesn't boldly proclaim EPA certification as a water purifier on its own website (they don't), then I assume that it is not certified. Does that lack of certification make it illegal to sell in the US? Actually, I have no idea. I'm not sure which agency has jurisdiction over the import and/or sale of chemical water purifiers.

Last time I looked at this issue they were not EPA approved and were therefore not legal. My understanding is that you cannot sell any product for disinfecting water for human consumption unless it is EPA approved for those purposes. It is treated the same as any pesticide, even if the pests can only be seen under a microscope. That has never stopped folks from doing it and being very careful about what they claim. It also doesn't mean they don't have other certifications from the EPA. Given that the current EPA test includes Crypto, the regular chlorine tabs like these wouldn't pass. It is a murky quagmire of an issue that I avoid by using the chlorine dioxide tabs now distributed by three different companies: Katadyn, Potable Aqua and McNett. They work on Crypto and are EPA approved. . Down side is they are lots more expensive and the packaging isn't as compact and a 3-year shelf life. <shrug> You pays your money and takes your pick.

If the company believes otherwise, ask them for proof and a complete explanation.

Hmm, I wonder...is the bottle of Chlorox bleach under my sink certified by the EPA as a water purifier? I had never even really thought of this question until this post. I just checked and it doesn't mention water purification anywhere. In fact, one of the first statements is that it is a federal crime to use the product in ways not mentioned on the product label, which I presume would include water purification. And yet every phone book and disaster/emergency preparedness booklet or website will advise people to have household bleach on hand on hand to disinfect water in case of emergency.

There's no "perfect" water purifier. Some don't neutralize all classes of the bad things. Some are expensive. Others could be toxic if used long-term. Other have short shelf lives, doesn't work well with cold water, the waiting time is too long, etc. etc. Strictly from a practical standpoint, Aquatabs seem no less effective, or put another way, is as effective, as other methods commonly used. As long as you are aware of the strengths and weaknesses, a dichloroisocyanurate-based product is a legitimate choice.

However, whether it's legal to sell that product--that's an entirely different situation. And in this situation, it seems like Aquatabs can't be sold as a water purification product in the US since, as Doug points out, it doesn't pass the EPA's standard for water purification, which includes Crypto. But neither does household bleach. Yet both dichloroisocyanurate and chlorine are used to disinfect municipal water supplies in different places around the world.

Anyway, as a vendor, I guess you shouldn't be selling these to Americans (well, I don't know EU law regarding this and if it exposes you to any liability). But as a US consumer, it's a more open-ended question about whether to purchase a non-EPA approved water purifier. Like Doug pointed out, it's not a totally clear cut decision in this case, but neither is household bleach, if you use the same standard.

Actually, thanks to ArmyRangerRick for asking the question. It's been interesting thinking about how the Aquatabs question applies to other water purifying techniques or products that we just take for granted.

Different standards apply to various uses. What is legal to sell for municipal use, bulk chlorine for example, may not be to sell for individual use, but you can sell it for disinfecting pool water, a different use. The same government that recommends using bleach in an emergency, won't allow it to be sold as a drinking water disinfectant. The law is an ass, as someone once pointed out.

It gets even sillier. If I somehow produce the exact same product as your approved product, I cannot get it approved to sell without conducting my own expensive testing and approval of the packaging (including the text on the package) and if the standard has gotten tougher since yours was approved, I have to pass the tougher standard, even if yours couldn't...and mine won't. There is little consistency and no logic. However, if I don't claim that it's a water disinfectant, I can sell it without the EPA's blessing. But, if someone at the EPA gets up on the wrong side of the bed one morning and goes after me, I could end up in deep doo doo if they determine I am marketing for such uses.

Don't even try to make sense of it...

Last time I was in CA (and thankfully it has been a while), I was told that the Katadyn Micropur tabs could not be sold in that state (go figure. If they are EPA approved, why not?). Does anyone know if that is still the case???

Not the case. I bought a pack 2 days ago.