Free water test offer? City says it could be a scam
City of London staff say it's often a ruse to sell homeowners over-priced filtration equipment
If someone calls or knocks on your door offering a free water test, City of London staff say it's likely a scam.
Dan Huggins, London's manager of water quality, said the city has fielded calls lately from people who've been approached by sales agents who offer to test their water for free. He said often it's a scam that starts with a bogus water test and can end with the victim signing up for an expensive and unnecessary filtration system.
"I've seen people sign contracts where the long-term payments are in the thousands," he said.
He said it's a scam that surfaces from time to time and follows a predictable pattern.
Homeowners are approached with offers of free water testing kits.
In some cases the kits, complete with a free water bottle, are left hung on a homeowner's door.
In other cases, they speak to the homeowners in person while impersonating someone official.
"Sometimes they give the impression that they're from a government agency or from the city of London water department," said Huggins. "People should know that it's people trying to sell a product, and they can be quite expensive."
CBC Marketplace did a story about water testing scams back in 2011
Huggins said London water exceeds stringent quality standards and is frequently tested by the province's environment ministry.
"People should know that the quality of the water coming out of their taps in London is a very high quality and they don't require any additional home treatment systems," he said.
There are some cases where city staff will contact homeowners regarding water quality issues but when this happens, the people coming to your door will have identification. This can also be confirmed with a phone call to the city at 519-661-4739. Also, city staff won't try to sell homeowners any product.
In older homes — those built before 1950 — the city does offer free testing for lead in pipes in supply lines. Huggins said to get this service, home owners should call the city.