What to look for in a waterfilter
July 17, 2023 7:21 AM Subscribe
Our city's water is no longer reliably safe. I'd like to find a water filter that reduces contaminants, and doesn't produce waste (plastic cartridges, water waste). What should I be looking for? What are the options? I'm thinking counter top or under sink, not a "whole building" system, if that makes sense.
I'm fine showering in tap water, but don't want to drink it unfiltered any more.
At the moment we have a Brita filter jug, but it's not good enough to remove suspicious taste from our tapwater that started after several pipe breaks in our area, and I don't like the plastic waste of the used cartridges.
I don't want a reverse osmosis system, as apparently that produces a lot of wasted water, and there are some health issues with lack of minerals.
How much woo is there ? For example, is a product like this reliable?
Cape Town has had really good quality tap water up to now, but the area I live in has degrading pipes and contamination with various pollutants. I'm acquainted with some local scientists who study the city's water quality and they are alarmed (and being ignored) so my "tapwater is good enough" approach doesn't feel safe any more.
At the moment we have a Brita filter jug, but it's not good enough to remove suspicious taste from our tapwater that started after several pipe breaks in our area, and I don't like the plastic waste of the used cartridges.
I don't want a reverse osmosis system, as apparently that produces a lot of wasted water, and there are some health issues with lack of minerals.
How much woo is there ? For example, is a product like this reliable?
Cape Town has had really good quality tap water up to now, but the area I live in has degrading pipes and contamination with various pollutants. I'm acquainted with some local scientists who study the city's water quality and they are alarmed (and being ignored) so my "tapwater is good enough" approach doesn't feel safe any more.
Kind of depends what you're wanting to remove from your water! Essentially any non-woo, non-osmosis system you'll get will simply involve water going through a filter: just pick the right kind of filter for the stuff you want to remove.
If you want something better than a Brita, have a look at makers of "whole house water filters". Yes, you don't want a whole house water filter, but this will show you what your options are for filtration, and the companies usually sell smaller, under-counter units. The concept is generally the same, just a matter of scale.
This is for more specific and/or heavy-duty filtration than a Brita, but (after it's hooked up) is no more complicated than changing a Brita filter. Shouldn't taste like plastic either.
I'm replacing my very old whole-house filter setup with a newer multistage one, so I've been reading way too much about this lately. You'll get more specific answers if you can get more specific with what exactly you want out of your water!
Quick tip: remember to flush (run water through) filters for ~5 minutes after changing.
posted by Baethan at 7:49 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
If you want something better than a Brita, have a look at makers of "whole house water filters". Yes, you don't want a whole house water filter, but this will show you what your options are for filtration, and the companies usually sell smaller, under-counter units. The concept is generally the same, just a matter of scale.
This is for more specific and/or heavy-duty filtration than a Brita, but (after it's hooked up) is no more complicated than changing a Brita filter. Shouldn't taste like plastic either.
I'm replacing my very old whole-house filter setup with a newer multistage one, so I've been reading way too much about this lately. You'll get more specific answers if you can get more specific with what exactly you want out of your water!
Quick tip: remember to flush (run water through) filters for ~5 minutes after changing.
posted by Baethan at 7:49 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
If reverse osmosis is out, your only practical option is a charcoal sediment filter like what you already have in the Brita pitcher. There are lots of filters available in various configurations, but they all do the same thing: Force water through charcoal.
With under-cabinet systems, keep in mind that they're pretty much all cheaply manufactured and prone to leaking. I found it was much easier to get a whole house filter canister with standard plumbing fittings and connect it up inline on the cold water side of my faucet. The filters are very cheap and the connections are much more reliable than any "system" you'll find for sale.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:55 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
With under-cabinet systems, keep in mind that they're pretty much all cheaply manufactured and prone to leaking. I found it was much easier to get a whole house filter canister with standard plumbing fittings and connect it up inline on the cold water side of my faucet. The filters are very cheap and the connections are much more reliable than any "system" you'll find for sale.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 7:55 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Are you okay washing dishes in tap water? If it's just your neighborhood, fill water jugs at some public space. After the major water shortage, I don't know what that might be, but where I live, the Town Hall has a spigot and it's available to anyone. Maybe you can get water at work, or a friend's. For cooking and drinking, a gallon or so a day is about right, so several 2 gallon jugs would get you through a week.
posted by theora55 at 8:23 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 8:23 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Your linked product seems similar to the Berkeys that we were given for filtering water during Peace Corps (those had ceramic “candles”), though technical we were advised to boil and then filter or filter and then add drops of bleach (I’m forgetting the ratio) for purification. I have a Berkey now at home in the US but with the charcoal filters. Honestly I would happily recommend either, though people above have mentioned the lack of testing/certifications
posted by raccoon409 at 10:36 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by raccoon409 at 10:36 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
If pathogenic organisms are a concern, I would want UV pretreatment ahead of activated carbon.
This site has an illuminating (so put on your sunglasses!) discussion of UV filtration, but only offers whole house systems at $600+.
posted by jamjam at 11:12 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
This site has an illuminating (so put on your sunglasses!) discussion of UV filtration, but only offers whole house systems at $600+.
posted by jamjam at 11:12 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
2nding a UV system if you have the cash (assuming it's pathogens you're worried about and not heavy metals). If you really have the dosh, get a consultation with a company that does water filtration for rural/well-water properties, as they will have a full system that can do everything.
For a cheaper option, I have the Lifestraw Home filter for my drinking water, because our city often doesn't post when an area is under a no-drinking advisory, and is generally lax about contaminants. So filtered water is a must for me. I chose the Lifestraw as it's the same grade of filament filter as my MSR survival filter... and my MSR filter got me through living off muddy creek and ditch water for over a week on a particularly crappy hiking trip. The Lifestraw is also fairly cheap.
Anecdotally, I used to get sick from my city's water maybe 3-4 times a year, but using this filter I've not had any stomach issues in over a year.
posted by Pemberly at 11:24 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
For a cheaper option, I have the Lifestraw Home filter for my drinking water, because our city often doesn't post when an area is under a no-drinking advisory, and is generally lax about contaminants. So filtered water is a must for me. I chose the Lifestraw as it's the same grade of filament filter as my MSR survival filter... and my MSR filter got me through living off muddy creek and ditch water for over a week on a particularly crappy hiking trip. The Lifestraw is also fairly cheap.
Anecdotally, I used to get sick from my city's water maybe 3-4 times a year, but using this filter I've not had any stomach issues in over a year.
posted by Pemberly at 11:24 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Here are some resources from a fairly unbiased source (a university extension) that may give you some useful context.
- Home Water Quality and Treatment - brief summary of water contamination & treatment options
- Your Household Water Quality: Odors in Your Water - an explanation of common sources of odors in water and what types of treatment may be useful
- Mechanical Filtration Methods and Devices and Activated Carbon Filtration (click through to PDF) explain more about the filtration methods used in the system you linked.
- Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems - an in-depth guide
Several of the sources I found suggested looking for an system that has been independently tested and certified by NSF, an international certifying body that verifies that the system does what it says it does. The one you linked does not appear to be certified; here's their list of certified systems.
- NSF Certified Home Water Treatment
Generally, the recommendation is to have your water tested before choosing a water treatment system, so that you can choose a system that addresses the relevant contaminants. If your local water provider releases public water testing reports, you can use those; otherwise, you can send your water to a company that does testing (for instance).
Personally, I have been using a 3M Filtrete Max under-sink system for about seven years, and I've been happy with it. It produces clean-tasting water, the filter lasts a long time, replacement filters are easily available, and it deals with the contaminants I'm concerned about. It is also NSF certified. Note that the filter is encased in plastic, but because the filter lasts so long, it produces much less waste than a Brita.
posted by ourobouros at 11:48 AM on July 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
- Home Water Quality and Treatment - brief summary of water contamination & treatment options
- Your Household Water Quality: Odors in Your Water - an explanation of common sources of odors in water and what types of treatment may be useful
- Mechanical Filtration Methods and Devices and Activated Carbon Filtration (click through to PDF) explain more about the filtration methods used in the system you linked.
- Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems - an in-depth guide
Several of the sources I found suggested looking for an system that has been independently tested and certified by NSF, an international certifying body that verifies that the system does what it says it does. The one you linked does not appear to be certified; here's their list of certified systems.
- NSF Certified Home Water Treatment
Generally, the recommendation is to have your water tested before choosing a water treatment system, so that you can choose a system that addresses the relevant contaminants. If your local water provider releases public water testing reports, you can use those; otherwise, you can send your water to a company that does testing (for instance).
Personally, I have been using a 3M Filtrete Max under-sink system for about seven years, and I've been happy with it. It produces clean-tasting water, the filter lasts a long time, replacement filters are easily available, and it deals with the contaminants I'm concerned about. It is also NSF certified. Note that the filter is encased in plastic, but because the filter lasts so long, it produces much less waste than a Brita.
posted by ourobouros at 11:48 AM on July 17, 2023 [5 favorites]
This article gives the impression that not all filters filter all contaminants -- so you should factor into your evaluation the contaminants that concern you most. (E.g. not all filter arsenic.)
We too have an undersink system, the Multipure Aquaversa (on this Good Housekeeping list), and are very happy with it. I've no experience of other filters systems.
I see that a previous question last year saw the asker settle on a "Brondell Coral Undersink".
posted by NailsTheCat at 12:01 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
We too have an undersink system, the Multipure Aquaversa (on this Good Housekeeping list), and are very happy with it. I've no experience of other filters systems.
I see that a previous question last year saw the asker settle on a "Brondell Coral Undersink".
posted by NailsTheCat at 12:01 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
While you are evaluating options, have you considered changing to the Brita Elite (previously called LongLast) filters? They are certified to reduce significantly greater amounts of contaminants than standard Brita (or completely uncertified Brita-compatible generics). At least in my country, they are not actually more expensive than normal brand-name Brita filters (because they claim to last three times longer).
posted by meowzilla at 2:41 PM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by meowzilla at 2:41 PM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]
Get a test for your water specifically, then buy a filter that can provably remove what you need removed.
posted by bug138 at 4:41 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by bug138 at 4:41 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
Nthing that the filtration system that will be effective for you depends on the type of contaminant you want to address. UV may be great for sterilizing biological agents from water but it'll do absolutely nothing to filter unwanted chemicals. One of the reasons activated charcoal filters tend to be popular is that they're good all-rounders that can usually do both reasonably well relatively inexpensively, but all filters based on it get used up as contaminants get trapped by the filter media.
posted by Aleyn at 7:15 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by Aleyn at 7:15 PM on July 17, 2023 [2 favorites]
have your water tested before choosing a water treatment system
I know this point has been repeated several times already, but this is important. There are a lot of ways water can be unsafe, and there isn't a good and inexpensive one-size-fits-all approach. If you have recourse to ask the local water quality experts, that might be one angle, but I'd absolutely get independent testing of my own water done.
For instance, we live in a city with a lead supply line problem, and our house does have a lead water line. We're not in a huge hurry to replace the line, for a lot of reasons--we'd probably have to destroy a mature tree to do so, it would cost us $15,000 USD or more, and we don't have children--but we also want to minimize our lead exposure. In light of this, we actually opted for a Berkey-style filter (another brand, actually, but the same stainless cylinder and filter "candle" design) because heavy metals are the one thing they unequivocally do well. If we were dealing with other contaminants we might have come to a different conclusion.
posted by pullayup at 12:07 PM on July 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
I know this point has been repeated several times already, but this is important. There are a lot of ways water can be unsafe, and there isn't a good and inexpensive one-size-fits-all approach. If you have recourse to ask the local water quality experts, that might be one angle, but I'd absolutely get independent testing of my own water done.
For instance, we live in a city with a lead supply line problem, and our house does have a lead water line. We're not in a huge hurry to replace the line, for a lot of reasons--we'd probably have to destroy a mature tree to do so, it would cost us $15,000 USD or more, and we don't have children--but we also want to minimize our lead exposure. In light of this, we actually opted for a Berkey-style filter (another brand, actually, but the same stainless cylinder and filter "candle" design) because heavy metals are the one thing they unequivocally do well. If we were dealing with other contaminants we might have come to a different conclusion.
posted by pullayup at 12:07 PM on July 18, 2023 [1 favorite]
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I'm torn at this point between these much more attractive options, versus a more unwieldy survival-grade filter and a simple dispenser/carafe. The stainless option seems easier to give a thorough cleaning periodically.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:40 AM on July 17, 2023 [1 favorite]