Coway Research and Development: creating Aquamega
Coway has been making water purifiers for the past 32 years. Since 1989, the company has created Carbon, Nano, UF, RO, and more types of water purifiers. The first Coway water purifier to hit the market generated a lot of buzz for its ability to supply cold, hot, and room temp water despite its compact size. The Coway Research and Development’s neverending work to deliver the freshest, cleanest, and most refreshing water resulted in the creation of Aquamega, which was released in the United States along with The One Palm last year.
With a dedicated team constantly testing and improving their products for the next generation of hygienic technology, Coway stands above the rest. Here’s a glimpse into the process behind creating their world-class water purifier.
Why drink purified water?
Jung Hwan Lee, Principal Research Engineer of Coway’s WaterCare Development, says the water quality in the US is good as a whole, but individual households can risk exposure to different harmful pollutants like rust depending on the type and age of the pipes, faucets, and showers in their homes.
“A few years ago in the US, the EPA showed that lead was present in 117 of 327 samples from 13 newly placed water pipes. While bottled water is bought, there is a possibility of contamination in the distribution process and there can be unnecessary costs to buy, carry, and store them. Since drinking water is directly linked to the health of families, Coway's water purifier is becoming more a necessity rather than a choice.”
Humans need to consume about 2 liters of water a day to maintain healthy bodily functions. Rather than drinking a lot of water at once, sipping on about 1/3 cup every 30 minutes helps boost the metabolism and ensures consistent proper hydration throughout the body.
“We hope that healthy drinking habits will help lead everyone to live a happier life.”
(left) Sun Mi Choi / Senior Research Engineer/ WaterCare Filter Development
(right) Jung Hwan Lee / Principal Research Engineer / WaterCare Development
Developing a superior water purifier
Jung Hwan Lee worked alongside Senior Research Engineer Sun Mi Choi to develop the Aquamega from an idea to a final product. Before reaching the market, every Coway product is field-tested in multiple locations and evaluated by the company’s team of 23 certified water sommeliers, WQA-Certified Water Specialists. Water purifiers vary depending on the country, water quality, water pressure, and surrounding environment.
“To make a water purifier, from planning, design, verification, production, and launching takes about a year,” says Lee. “And in order to sell in the US market, there has to be an additional 6 months to obtain certifications from the Water Quality Association according to NSF/ANSI standards.”
The Water Quality Association (WQA) issues the WQA Gold Seal to products that have past rigorous testing requirements to comply with standards of quality management.
“The direct water filter in our Aquamega 200 received the highest marks from the WQA certifications for removing substances out of all of our Coway filters,” says Choi. “Also, the Aquamega water purifier can remove 15 kinds of pollutants including residual drugs (PPCP) and endocrine-disrupting substances that are listed in the National Science Foundation 401 requirement standards.”
Drink better, live better.
Jung Hwan Lee believes Coway's philosophy is to support life and body.
“This is not just a company that makes products, but a company that cares about the health of both the environment and the customer. In Korea, there is a big need for designed UX. Lately, with the products with different functions, we look into both the taste and smell of water. We are also creating products that will be compatible with the water environments in different regions.”
Sun Mi Choi enthusiastically adds, “If it’s coming from a Coway water purifier, you can drink in confidence!”
Learn more about Aquamega here.
