Making a fresh start with filtered water

HRV Water's new Tauranga/Coromandel franchisees John Gutrie and Tracie Sturm.

JOHN Gutrie and Tracie Sturm liked Tauranga so much that when an opportunity came up to buy the exclusive Tauranga/Coromandel franchise for a new whole home water filtration system, the couple jumped at the chance to relocate from Wellington.

HRV Water Home Filtration is a new franchise set up by Auckland-based HRV, which has built a national franchise operation in home ventilation systems over the past decade or so.

The system was developed by local Tauranga man Warren East and his partners in Kiwi Pure, which designed the system sold by HRV Water and arranged for it to be manufactured in China.

HRV now had the rights to directly import the system for its franchisees and paid a royalty to Kiwi Pure for each system sold.

"We're the second cab off the rank," said Ms Sturm, noting that HRV Water's first two franchises had been sold in Auckland.

Many home filtration systems were installed to filter only the kitchen tap.

The key point of difference for whole home systems was that they were installed on the main water supply coming into the house.

That meant a home could have filtered water from every outlet, including for baths, showers and the garden hose tap, said Ms Sturm, who would manage the business operations.

Mr Gutrie, who ran his own plumbing and gas-fitting business for more than 25 years, would handle the technical and installation side.

The business was just about to appoint its first two sales agents, and planned to build a sales team of at least eight.

The sales people would work on a commission-only basis, but the business also expected to directly employ additional plumbing staff to handle installations.

The four-stage filter removed sediments, chlorine and heavy metals and had an ionising-type component, based on a unique magnetic-based system developed by Kiwi Pure, which softened the filtered water at the final stage, said Mr East.

The main disinfecting agent in local water supplies was chlorine, and treatment varied from area to area, depending on where the water was drawn from and how much sediment it contained.

"There is a very high degree of sediment in Tauranga water," said Mr East.

Mr Gutrie noted that chemicals were absorbed quickly through the skin as well as by ingestion, which was one of the advantages of having water for the entire house filtered.

"Whole house filtration has real relevance for your health and wellbeing, your pets and your garden," he said.

"You get water that's softer, less smelly and better tasting."

The fact that the franchise was available for Tauranga/ Coromandel was a key factor influencing the couple's decision to buy the franchise and relocate from Wellington late last year, said Ms Sturm.

"We thought HRV Water was a fabulous opportunity to come to an area which we've always loved and where we have friends and family," she said.