U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized 169,490 counterfeit water filters valued at $8.4 million, many bearing fake Brita, GE, Frigidaire, and PUR branding with fraudulent NSF certification marks.Lab testing confirmed counterfeit filters not only failed to remove lead and chlorine \u2014 they actively introduced harmful chemicals into drinking water, making filtered water more dangerous than unfiltered tap.China manufactures over 60% of the world's replacement filter cartridges, with counterfeiting operations concentrated in Zhejiang, Guangdong, Fujian, and Jiangsu provinces.Texas families face a double threat: counterfeit filters sold online and aggressive door-to-door scam operations like Pure Life Water of Houston, whose BBB accreditation was revoked after 19 complaints targeting elderly and non-English-speaking homeowners.You can verify any NSF-certified filter by searching the manufacturer and model number at [nsf.org/certified-products-systems](https://www.nsf.org/certified-products-systems/) \u2014 if it does not appear, the certification mark is fraudulent.Legitimate local water treatment providers in [Houston](/water-treatment/texas/houston), [Dallas](/water-treatment/texas/dallas), [San Antonio](/water-treatment/texas/san-antonio), and [Austin](/water-treatment/texas/austin) can be verified through communitywatertest.org's directory of reviewed companies.---
Counterfeit Water Filters from China: $8.4 Million Seized and Why Your Texas Family May Be at Risk
On a Tuesday morning in July 2019, officers at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex intercepted a shipping container that looked like thousands of others passing through the busiest port on the West Coast. Inside were 5,202 water filter cartridges, each one bearing the familiar branding of trusted American household names \u2014 Brita, GE, Frigidaire, and PUR. The packaging was nearly perfect. The NSF certification marks looked...