HELPFUL ANSWERS
What would you like to know about your waters?
Start here for answers about Water Savvy, water scores, and the places you care about. You can take a quick look or follow a question further.
Getting started
What is Water Savvy?
Water Savvy helps you get to know the waters in your life. It brings water information into everyday language, with the expertise of True Elements behind it. Through the app, you can explore places, read water summaries, and look at the evidence behind them. Each useful answer helps you learn what to look for next.
Who is Water Savvy for?
Water Savvy is for people who want to understand the water they depend on and the places they enjoy. You might begin with the water at home, a favorite beach, or somewhere you plan to visit. You do not need a science background. Start with a question that matters to you.
How do I get the Water Savvy app?
You can download Water Savvy from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Open the app and begin with a place you care about. The store listing shows the current device requirements and any pricing details.
What kinds of water can I explore?
Water Savvy includes drinking, recreation, agricultural, industrial, and treated water. These connect to your home, the places you visit, the food you eat, and the things you use. Available information varies by location and water type. Exploring those connections can help you understand more about the place you live.
Who is behind Water Savvy?
True Elements brings together water data, science, and technology to help explain water information. Its TrueQi® intelligence system helps connect the information behind Water Savvy. That work draws on records from water providers, public agencies, scientists, and other sources. Water Savvy makes the results easier to understand and explore.
Scores and evidence
What does a water score tell me?
A water score summarizes the available information for a place and water type. Read it with the condition shown, such as Excellent, then look at the evidence behind it. The score is a starting point for understanding. It is not a percentage of purity or a complete safety check.
Does a score of 95 mean the water is 95 percent safe?
No. A score of 95 does not mean water is 95 percent safe or 95 percent pure. It summarizes information using the scoring approach behind that result. Look at the condition, measurements, sources, and dates to understand what the result covers.
What is the difference between See proof and See everything?
See proof opens the main evidence behind a result. See everything lets you explore more detail, including measurements and reporting context. Begin with the summary, then open the level of detail that helps answer your question. You do not have to read every measurement to begin learning.
Where does the water information come from?
The information draws on sources such as public agencies, water providers, and scientific records. The sources available can differ by place and water type. Look at the source shown with a result to understand where that information came from. True Elements helps connect and explain it.
How current is the information?
Update timing depends on the source. A newly published report may describe samples collected earlier. Look for both the sampling date and the report date, where provided. Water Savvy's information should be read in that time context rather than treated as a live measurement from your location.
What does a benchmark mean?
A benchmark is a reference used to compare a measurement. It might be a legal limit, an action level, or another guideline. Those do not all mean the same thing. Read the label and explanation beside the comparison, including its units. A result should be compared with a benchmark that applies to that substance and use.
Does a missing result mean there is nothing to worry about?
No. A missing result means that information is not shown or available in that record. It does not prove a substance is absent or that water is safe. Look at what the report actually measured and where gaps remain. Your water provider or local agency may be able to help with a specific question.
Why might two places or reports show different results?
Reports can cover different locations, dates, substances, and testing methods. Drinking water and recreation water also serve different purposes. Before comparing two numbers, check what each describes and whether the units match. A nearby result may not represent the exact place you have in mind.
Drinking water
Can Water Savvy tell me if my tap water is safe to drink?
Water Savvy helps explain available information about your drinking water supply. It does not test water from your tap or guarantee its safety. Your home's pipes and fixtures can also affect the water that reaches your glass. For a current drinking water advisory, follow your water provider or local health department.
What is a Consumer Confidence Report?
A Consumer Confidence Report is a drinking water quality report from a community water system. It describes the water supply and reported test results, including comparisons with drinking water standards. It can help you learn about the water supplied to your area. It is not a test of every tap in every home.
Can I use a public water score to understand my private well?
A public water score does not describe your private well. A well has its own water source and testing needs. Your local health department can help you find testing advice for your area.
Can pipes in my home affect drinking water?
Yes. Plumbing can affect water after it leaves the public supply. Some pipes and fixtures can release lead, for example. If you have a concern about your home's water, ask your water provider or local health department about testing and next steps.
Recreation water
Can a recreation water score tell me whether it is safe to swim?
A recreation water score helps explain available water quality information. It does not cover every swimming hazard, including currents, waves, or water depth. Check notices for the actual swimming area and follow posted signs and lifeguard advice before entering the water.
Why check swimming notices after heavy rain?
Heavy rain can carry germs and other pollution into swimming areas. Check local notices before you go, especially after a storm. An earlier test result may not describe conditions after the rain.
What if there is no water information for my beach or lake?
Missing information does not tell you whether the water is safe. Check with the beach, park, or local health department for swimming notices and available test results. Look for information about the exact place you plan to enter the water.
Maps, places, and updates
What can I explore on the Water Savvy map?
The map lets you explore places and choose water information layers. A layer adds a type of information to the map, so you can focus on what interests you. The information shown depends on the layer and its coverage. Check details for the place you are exploring rather than assuming every layer covers every location.
What is My Places?
My Places lets you save locations so you can return to their water information without starting your search again. You might save home, a favorite lake, or somewhere you plan to visit. It gives you a simple place to begin the next time you open Water Savvy.
Can I choose which water notifications interest me?
The app's notification settings include choices for places and water topics. You can select options for home, travel, and favorite places, and review the topics you want to follow. Available information, your settings, and device permissions can affect what you receive. These choices do not mean every change produces an immediate alert.
Does Water Savvy replace official emergency alerts?
No. Follow official warnings and instructions from local authorities during an emergency. Water Savvy can help you explore water information, but it should not be your only source of urgent guidance.
How often should I check Water Savvy?
Make it part of moments when water matters to your plans. Check a place before a visit, look at the water supply at home, or return when you have a new question. New information depends on the source, so you may not see a change every day. Familiarity grows as you learn what the words and numbers mean.
Water Spotters and learning
What is Water Spotters?
Water Spotters is a way to share water photos through Water Savvy and explore photos from other people. A photo can show a shoreline, a water level, or a place someone knows well. Together, those views help people look more closely at the waters around them.
Do I have to contribute to use Water Savvy?
No. You can begin by exploring water information and photos. Sharing a photo is one way to take part when you choose. You do not need to be a water expert to become more familiar with your waters.
What is Water Chronometer?
Water Chronometer is in development. It is intended to help people explore photos of the same place taken at different times and notice what has changed. A photo comparison can prompt useful questions, but it does not by itself explain the cause of a change.
How does Water Savvy connect me with more water knowledge?
Alongside True Elements expertise, Water Savvy introduces resources such as Circle of Blue and Water Matters. These offer paths to water stories, ideas, and expert conversations. You can follow what interests you and build your understanding over time. You do not have to contribute a photo to keep learning.
Start with a place you care about.
Get Water Savvy and begin exploring your waters. Your next question is a good place to start.
