Editorial Policy

Water Is Life publishes guides on tap water quality, water testing, filtration and hydration. This page explains where our information comes from, who writes and checks it, how we keep it current, and how to report an error.

Who Writes and Reviews Our Content

All content on Water Is Life is written and reviewed by Keith W., the site’s founder. Water Is Life is operated by Keith Williams LLC, is independently owned, and is not affiliated with any filter manufacturer, bottled water brand or testing lab.

Where Our Information Comes From

We build our articles on primary sources first, in this order of preference:

  • Government water data and regulations: the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) for violations, the EPA’s Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5) results for PFAS and lithium, state drinking water programs, and USGS water science data.
  • Utility reports: the annual Consumer Confidence Reports that public water systems are required to publish.
  • Health and medical sources: the CDC, NIH and MedlinePlus, and peer-reviewed research, for anything about hydration or health effects.
  • Independent databases: the EWG Tap Water Database, which we cite as EWG’s analysis, kept separate from legal limits.
  • Product standards: NSF/ANSI certification listings and manufacturer performance data sheets, for what a filter is certified to remove.

When a figure comes from an advocacy group’s health guideline rather than a federal legal limit, we say which it is. When a source can’t be verified, we leave the claim out.

Health Content

Hydration and health articles explain what the published research and public health agencies say. They are not medical advice. See our health disclaimer, and talk to your doctor about your own situation, especially if you take medication, are being treated for a condition, or are pregnant.

Keeping Content Current

Drinking water rules, utility results and product certifications change. We review articles when a regulation changes (for example, EPA PFAS limits), when new utility or federal data is published, and when a reader reports a problem. Updated articles show the date they were last revised.

Independence and Affiliate Links

We do not accept payment for reviews or placements. Some links on the site are affiliate links, which pay us a commission if you buy; they never change what we say about a product. Details are in our affiliate disclosure and product review policy.

Corrections

If you find an error, contact us with the page and the source that shows the correct information. We check every correction request against the source and update the article if it’s wrong.