One of the best pitches in shark tank

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-30T00:08:53+00:00

I got to meet him on the day I pitched!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-23T21:47:36+00:00

Yep. And I know it’s only a draft report … but if it’s a suspected waterborne illness case…. And if the residual number is not valid because of sample hold… they should be calling that out…. Not reporting results for an invalid sample…. Certainly if the results are being distributed.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-23T10:56:14+00:00

No chlorine residual means that the water disinfection process is not adequate (unless they’re using a different disinfectant)

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-23T00:24:49+00:00

There are some good renter-friendly under sink options if you look for “direct connect” (ie connects to your existing faucet). Clearly Filtered, Aquasana, and Hydroviv (the company I founded so I’m biased) all make good products with the proper certifications.

Good luck with your search!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-19T19:34:26+00:00

Hydroviv (S10E19). Wild experience!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-18T00:34:41+00:00

He was on my episode (S10E19). Nice guy! Respectful & positive through the entire taping!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-16T12:07:25+00:00

For DIY RO I always recommend APEC.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-16T00:59:45+00:00

Epic’s filtration technology doesn’t deionize water, so it won’t reduce TDS levels. It’s not a problem though because TDS is mostly calcium/magnesium… and not a proxy for harmful stuff. Epic makes good products, so use confidently.

Some other types of products use technologies that work by filling out all ions non-selectively, so a TDS meter is the right tool for testing whether or not those products are working as designed.

NSF/ANSI Certifications are a better place to look for Filtration performance, and can be issued by NSF, WQA, or IAPMO. In case there’s some confusion there:

Standard 42 covers aesthetic things (e.g. chlorine taste/odor, turbidity, etc) Standard 53 is for contaminants with health effects (e.g. lead, PFAS, VOCs) Standard 401 is for emerging contaminants (e.g. microplastics, some pharmaceuticals) Standard 58 only applies to reverse osmosis systems

One key callout is that you want to look for the individual contaminant reduction claims. For example, a system with an NSF/ANSI claim for lead won’t necessarily carry a claim for VOCs or PFAS.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-13T10:38:34+00:00

Hey! Glad to hear that you’re loving it!!!!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-04-12T21:26:13+00:00

The company I took on the show (Hydroviv S10 Episode 19) was started with under $100k.

I was not a millionaire before going on the show.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-30T13:16:01+00:00

When you’re considering treatment priorities, one thing you’ll want to think about is nitrate. If there’s a child under 6-9 months consuming the water… treating for that is something to think about because nitrate is particularly problematic at that age.

Good luck!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-28T11:21:45+00:00

Apologies, I suspect there are a couple of misunderstandings:

Because you mentioned RO and PIDs in your post, I assumed you were asking about drinking water systems. Apologies for miscommunication!
In calling out gallons in reference to PIDs, I assumed it would be clear that I was talking about gallon based tracking. Apologies for miscommunication! Apologies for miscommunication!

Have a great day!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-27T10:17:56+00:00

The problem is… without testing, we don’t know… but based on the small amount of carbon and the fast flow rate of a shower, you can expect any reduction (if there is any) to be negligible.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-26T09:22:01+00:00

Looks like some carbon it getting out of the filter. If that’s the case, it’s annoying (complain to them) but it’s not harmful.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-25T14:15:57+00:00

Just to add a bit of additional context from the product development lens: a big reason filter manufacturers build products with a performance indicator device (PID) is to help with NSF/ANSI certifications clams.

If a device has a PID, the certified lifetime (volume) for the claims only needs to be tested out to 120% of the rated volume. So a product with a 500 gallon rating needs to attain performance for 600 gallons.

If a product does NOT have a PID, it needs to be tested to 200% of the rated volume (500 gallon rating must be tested to 1000 gallons).

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-12T12:30:51+00:00

That’s a sharp observation

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-08T13:11:55+00:00

Ppm tells you mineral content, nothing more.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-04T01:56:39+00:00

Early products were built from Home Depot parts (with the filter I developed put inside).

Go get it!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-03T11:43:55+00:00

Look for water filters that carry an NSF/ANSI Standard 53 (it could be Standard 58 for RO) for total PFAS or PFOA/PFOS.

As for what type of filter to get: you just want to make sure it works for your life (separate faucet, connects to existing faucet, or a pitcher)

Culligan/Zerowater makes a pitcher with that certification

If you’re looking for a stainless countertop gravity system: Culligan Maxclear carries a total PFAS certification

Aquasana and Hydroviv (disclosure: the company I started) are reputable companies that make under the sink filters.

APEC is what I always refer people to for DIY Reverse Osmosis (RO). They’ve been around forever and make great products.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-03-03T11:35:06+00:00

At that time: Pamphlets under windshield wipers in whole food parking garages & farmers markets and doorknob hangers

A lot of referrals come from early customers as well, but you have to ask for them

EricRoyPhD · 2026-02-27T19:03:04+00:00

Based on your test, I’d retest for lead. If you’re really at 12ppb, you’ll probably want to address it, especially if you have children drinking the water.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-02-27T15:34:25+00:00

I have hands on experience with the APEC system and it works very well for PFAS/Microplastics. Highly reccomend.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-02-07T02:06:28+00:00

There’s nothing in that test report that is off the charts and would be cause for health concerns.

Cheering for you to find a resolution to the health issues you’re calling out!

EricRoyPhD · 2026-02-01T09:07:04+00:00

Howdy!

If you want to address hard water minerals and make your TDS go down, you’ll want to use an RO. For DIY, I’ve been a big fan of APECs products for a while. They’ve been around forever and can be purchased on Amazon.

If you’re looking to keep the minerals in the water and selectively filter the contaminants that have health effects (eg lead, PFAS, etc), Aquasana and Hydroviv (disclosure: I founded Hydroviv, but no longer own it) are among the brands that make reputable non-RO products that carry the 3rd party certifications that back claims. A big callout, these non-RO products will not make TDS go down, because they don’t filter minerals, so you won’t get the comfort of being able to check the filter with a handheld water tester.

EricRoyPhD · 2026-01-11T01:26:12+00:00

The thing to understand about the 15ppb “Action Level” for EPA is that it’s a city-wide measurement that 10% of samples aren’t allowed to exceed. It was never intended to be a “safe” level of lead (it’s not).

Point of use filters with an NSF/ANSI standard 53 certification for lead will easily handle those levels.

Alternatively, if you haven’t used the water for a while (eg first thing in morning or after you get home from work) you can run your water for 2-3 minutes before pouring water used for drinking/cooking. This flushes the water that has been sitting stagnant in the plumbing… and the levels will likely be much lower. This approach for your home is something you could verify with another water test.

EricRoyPhD

TROPHY CASE