Home Water filter that doesn't leave the water dead and flat.?

Question

I'm concerned by the amount of oil burned to truck and fly bottled water around the world so I would rather just drink tap water. What is the best installed water filter system that doesn't leave the water with out minerals?

Answer 1

You do not need a water filter unless there are demonstrated, proven and frequent cases of disease communicated by your local water supply. For virtually everyone in North America, Australia, Japan,  Russia, New Zealand, Europe and South Africa water filters are a glorious waste of money and resources.  The sales are supported by a lot of advertising that implies health risks but does not actually say there are any. In short, they almost, but not quite, lie.

In fact domestic and office size water filters are dangerous to health because if the filter elements are not serviced or changed regularly they can change the odd bacterium that does get through the municipal system into a big colony right at your water tap.

No water filter that you can install at your home or in your office can remove metals in solution permanently. The most they can do is remove some of them until the activated carbon, if used, saturates and the metals go through anyway.

No municipal water supply in the countries I have just mentioned have dangerous levels of heavy metals unless you have a situation as set out in that Erin Brokovitch movie.  In that case only reverse osmosis or distillation would be any good and that would cost a lot more than a filter. Like five or ten times more.

Don't waste your money.

Edit -I stand (or sit) corrected on the metals issue, but I did say "unless you have a situation as set out in that Erin Brokovitch movie." However I still stand behind my main statements, these thing are promoted by what amount to lies and their capacity to absorb metals is limited.

Answer 2

Walkerton, Ontario is a perfect example that municipal water is not always safe.  Seven dead and hundreds hospitalized because the lazy sob in charge of the water supply was falsifying records rather than doing his job.  

Lack of minerals doesn't change the taste, it is the lack of dissolved oxygen that gives water that dead taste.  Put your water in a blender, or use a bubbler like a fish tank.  Then let it sit in an open container for the dissolved chlorine to escape.  Then put it in the fridge.

You should notice a difference in taste.

Answer 3

Pure water is flat, and the good filters remove most of the minerals. It's a trade off. But you can always add a scant pinch of salt to the water, or Epsom salts if you're on a low sodium diet.

Answer 4

I guess a degree in chemistry doesn't mean you know anything about municipal water quality. The statement that all drinking water in the US and other developed countries is always safe is absurd.

Limits on metals and other contaminants in municpal drinking water are based on readily achievable levels as much as they are on safety.  For example, in the US there are limits on lead in drinking water that still allows lead to be present in drinking water.  In fact, up to 10% of houses in a city can have lead levels far above recognized safe limits and the city's water is still classified as meeting water quality standards. If you live in one of the houses with high lead levels your water is anything but safe to drink. For example, my city, while claiming that it met all Federal Lead in Water requirements STILL sent people to the hospital with lead poisoning from drinking their water last year.  Lead, cadmium and copper can be added to your drinking water just from the pipes and plumbing fixtures in your house.

The US EPA publishes a database online of water quality violations by muncipal water departments.  Serious violations are not uncommon.

Water filters can serve a valuable service and I use one for all my drinking and cooking water.  High quality filters remove almost all of the chemical and metal contaminants in your water, including chlorine and the water-treatment chemicals the water service adds to treat the water.  Not only is this water safer to drink, it tastes better.

I use a counter-top Puritec filter which lasts about two years of normal use before the filter insert is replaced.

So a blanket statement that all municpal water in all the countries listed is completely safe is wrong.  The statement that water filters are always a waste of money is wrong.

Answer 5

I use a Britta filter. i like the result but I have no idea on the mineral content of the water. My guess would be that it's unlikely any filter could completely remove all minerals.