Water Filtration Assistant helps you find out what is in your tap water and which treatment actually removes it, explained in plain words.
Who we are
Water Filtration Assistant was started by Tyler James (Tyler Dunne), a California-licensed plumbing contractor (C-36) who has owned and run Tyler James Plumbing in San Diego since 2018. Tyler has installed and serviced water heaters, water lines, pressure regulators and backflow devices in homes and businesses for more than a decade, and has served as a plumbing expert witness.
After years of homeowners asking which filter or softener they really need, the answer was always the same: start with what is actually in your water, then match the treatment to it. This site does that for every water district in the country.
Where the water data comes from
- Your district's own report. Every community water system must publish an annual water quality report (a Consumer Confidence Report). We find each district's latest report, link to it, and copy its numbers into plain-language results, each tied to the page it is printed on.
- EPA testing. For PFAS and lithium we also show results from EPA's nationwide testing program (UCMR 5), labeled separately from the district's report.
- District boundaries come from EPA's mapped service areas, built from state water agency data.
We only show numbers that come from a district's report, from EPA, or that you enter yourself. We never show sample or estimated results. When a number is unclear in the report, we hold it back rather than guess.
How products are ranked
Products are ranked by what they are certified to remove (NSF/ANSI and equivalent standards from NSF, WQA, IAPMO, CSA and UL), then by what the maker claims, then by cost to own. Commissions never change the order.
How we make money
Some product links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. That keeps the water reports free. See our affiliate disclosure.
Corrections
If a number on the site doesn't match your district's report, tell us at [email protected] and we will check it against the report and fix it.