WaterPlain pages are written to be accurate, useful and honest about where the information comes from, and about what we cannot know. This page sets out how that works and where its limits are.
How a page is made
- Research. We start from primary sources and note what they do and do not settle.
- Writing. A draft is written from that research under the WaterPlain name.
- Fact-check. A separate check compares each limit, standard, dose, cost, date and rule with its source.
- Graphics. Any charts or diagrams repeat figures from the text and add no new facts.
- Final review. A last read looks for errors, gaps and unsafe advice. If it finds a serious problem, the page is fixed and reviewed again. We do not publish a page with a serious problem still open.
Each page ends with the date its facts were checked. No process catches everything, so please tell us if you find a mistake.
Our sources
Every limit, standard, dose, cost, date or rule links to its source at the claim. We use primary sources such as EPA, CDC, USGS, the eCFR, the Federal Register, state health and environment agencies, university extension services, and manufacturer data sheets for product specifications.
Secondary sources are used for context, never for a number. Cost figures come from dated, named sources, and we say what they are based on, because local quotes vary. If we cannot confirm something, we leave it out or say plainly that it is unconfirmed.
What we do not claim
- We have no lab and test nothing. We never say “we tested”, and we do not claim to have used the products we describe.
- We do not invent authors, quotes or customer stories.
- We do not rank products unless public data supports the ranking, and we do not call anything “best” on the strength of an opinion.
- Photos are stock images chosen to illustrate a topic. They do not show products we have tested.
When we compare products, we compare what is published: certifications, specifications and prices. A published figure is the maker’s or certifier’s claim, not our measurement.
Health and safety
- Well test results and illness go to the state or county health department or a certified lab, not to a product.
- Safety advice, such as infants and nitrate, lead, bacteria and shock chlorination, follows EPA, CDC or state wording.
- We do not invent or blend doses. If published doses differ, we show each source’s figure and say that they differ.
- Pages on health or money say that they are general information, not medical or professional advice.
Fairness
Sellers’ claims are reported as claims. Where evidence is disputed, or paid for by an interested party, we say so and do not offer a flat answer the evidence cannot support. Sometimes the honest answer is that you do not need to buy anything.
Calculators
Our calculators are formulas with named inputs and shown working, and each formula is checked against answers worked by hand before it goes live. They give estimates from what you enter, and they print numbers only. Safety notes sit on the page around them, so read those too.
Updates and corrections
Rules and prices change, so we recheck a page when something it relies on changes, and we date statements that are likely to move. A page shows an updated date only when its content really changed. Errors are fixed and recorded on our corrections page.
Advertising and independence
Display advertising pays for this site, and advertisers have no say over what we publish. We use no affiliate links, accept no paid placements and sell no leads. Our about page has more on how the site works.