As a result of Microplastic: the deadly consequence of plastic/synthetic materials I thought it might be prudent for Choice to do a wide ranging test on water filtration for the home. There are a couple of older threads which don’t quite fit, and no test that I can see.
Jug filters, under bench, on bench, and on tap should all be included.
It will be interesting, especially since many are made of plastic (have plastic components) and drinking water comes in contact with these plastics.
It would be interesting if such water filters solve the problem, or solve one problem but create another.
We have an in-line cartridge filter on our tank water to the kitchen. It is under the house, you turn off the pump, drain the water, unscrew the housing and change the filter. After a couple of years ours is black.
There is an array of these, varying pore sizes, materials, with various additives eg carbon, silver; for taste, odour or contaminants.
A test would be good, but a general Buying Guide would probably be the most cost effective for Choice for these cartridges - they cost between $5 and $20 each.
A useful suggestion. When we purchased our current treatment system in 2015 there were fewer product choices. Looking more recently there is a greater range within brands and more brand choices of similar products.
We have a dual filter on the tank water before it goes to the UV. Also a dual under sink for the drinking water tap. After 10 years we’ve not noticed any degradation of the filter housings (polycarbonate construction?). They do need a wipe out each year when we change the filters.
From a previous work life there are non plastic housings. Stainless Steel options for some commercial food safe applications. Also used in some industrial situations. The residential choices I’’ve researched previously do not use SS.
It would be useful in any review to know more about the type of plastics used for the housings and in the filter cartridges. Scored against how the science rates each type for rates of loss of microplastics for each type.
Many larger capacity systems for water treatment use a variety of plastics and metals. These include fibre reinforced resins and coated carbon steel (epoxy, glass enamels, etc).
PS
Depending on cartridge size and type they can cost closer to $100 or more. I’ve seen what appear to be identical products online at twice the price I pay. Also to note some brands appear to use standard size cartridges. Knowing if this is fact in any review might make interchangeability attractive due to competitive choice. On a technical note one needs more than a micron rating when comparing filtration. The betta ratio, flow rate, pressure drop, contamination capacity etc are also relevant to performance and cost.
I have researched the quality of the town water here in SA. I was told by my doctor that the town drinking water contains too much sodium & if someone is on a low sodium diet for heart problems etc then to not drink the water. SA Water have a great website where you can look up the results of their water testing for each town. The only way to remove sodium is by reverse osmosis, distillation and ion exchange. A very expensive process. Should SA Water be responsible to make the drinking water with less sodium content?
So now I have to buy my drinking water, microplastics and all. Also removing microplastics is an expensive exercise as well.
I recently looked through the online Choice website for this reason but didnt find any tests. I eventually bought a Brita 8ltr item but wonder if the very expensive filters actually do anything.
I hate drinking water & found boiled & refrigerated water seemed to taste better & thought filtered water might do a better job.
I really would like to know any actualities regarding these filters before I buy more.
Are there any tests to be done by Choice in the future?
Hi @KRISTINE_S, welcome to the community.
A question is why you don’t like 'tap water?
Generally water filters aren’t needed in Australia as reticulated (tap) water is very safe to drink. We are one of the few countries in the world where this is the case.
However, if on a water supply other than reticulated water, water filters might be needed. Examples being tank or bore water.
Water filters might also be useful if one doesn’t like the taste of their tap water. If impurities within tap water taint and affect the water’s taste, a water filter may reduce the impact of such impurities.
Choice also covered the pros and cons of water filters here:
and contains some useful background information. It also provides a guide to upfront and ongoing costs of different water filter types.
If the tap water tastes better to you after it’s been boiled and refrigerated, the chlorine compounds are probably the main thing you’re finding objectionable.
Boiling water will get rid of chlorine, but so will letting it sit in an open container for several hours (whether or not in the fridge) before drinking it.
The filter you have should at least remove chlorine, and might also remove a lot of other things. Check the manufacturer’s website for that model to see if they say what it should remove.
Filtering does remove some things from the water. Most use activated charcoal and ion exchange resins to reduce things like chlorine, some metal elements such as copper or cadmium. It isn’t a perfect way but it is easy and often convenient. They also usually have physical filtering to remove some of the physical particles that may be in the water, e.g., sand.
How well it works? There are standards, if a filter is rated to meet the one or more of the standards it will filter for the items the noted standards cover. Often the situation is reduction not complete removal.
Boiling water both helps to sterilise the water, and many of the chlorine compounds are removed. Taste then is different because the chlorine elements are not present or are changed because of reactions that occur under heat. This doesn’t remove metallic contaminants. Most reticulated water supplies in Australia are safe to drink without boiling, at times there may be a need due to plant failures or storm or similar contamination. Some reticulated waters in some towns are not intended for human consumption and these are clearly indicated as not intended for drinking purposes.
For Brita products as they were specifically mentioned in your post. US and Canadian information but should be in application here as well.
To reduce sodium levels of reticulated water supplies - RO (Reverse Osmosis) filtration which you have mentioned is certainly one method.
If you are looking for a filter solution or requesting a review, note there are various brands and models designed as under sink solutions for drinking water. Whole of house solutions tend to be prohibitively expensive.
One example of the product type:
Sodium levels are also relevant to the health of some in our family. We have roof rain water. Hence different concerns, aside from the universal need to have a low salt diet. However making that supply safe to drink relies on two filtration and treatment systems. $1500 approx current cost to replace plus the costs for the plumbing services (regulations) and originally an electrician for the power point to the UV. We look at it as an investment in our health and safety. It would be great to see RO household filtration included in any future Choice comparative review or testing.
Diverging:
The following is a very different question and discussion to the current topic. The medical considerations some may have, management needs and whether the community should change regulated standards part of a broader topic.
It’s reassuring to know ones personal health needs and possible sources of additional risks. SA Water and all other reticulated water supplies (Public opened or in private ownership) follow the regulated Australian Standards for water supply. There are guidelines recommending sodium salt levels. A part answer to your question is to ask whether the sodium salt levels SA Water has reported are not acceptable. The following suggests that the sodium content of Australian reticulated water for domestic supply is for most users not a health risk.
Per your observations there are substantial costs in reducing sodium salts in water. At scale in reticulated water treatment plants similar outcomes with very high cost water. There are a number of high capacity desalination (RO) plants installed to support Australian water supplies. The high capital costs and operating costs are a useful reference. There are many users of reticulated water, many not being households. Even in households the greater volume of water is not used for drinking. To consider the substantial cost of upgrading the SA water supply and increased future operating costs compared to the benefit. Significant as it might be for a very small portion of the water delivered. Thinking about the cost of living already a very expensive but essential utility
I purchased a bench top water distiller for my mum last Christmas to save her from buying water bottles (she will only drink tap water as a last resort) and she loves it. There have been no issues with it so far and it is an Australian brand which is a bonus for me.
Varying experiences with water quality and that supplied by a selection of regional town and small cities water utilities.
We have used until our most recent home several different solutions including jugs with filter inserts and benchtop units. Relatively inexpensive aside from the need to replace the filter cartridges regularly. Some offer expensive cartridges - alongside IMHO rather remarkable claims as to the water quality delivered by the filters.
To suspect the use of “Australian brands” in marketing is not an assurance of Australian manufacture. The recent focus on Bunnings product ranges worth noting.
https://choice.community/t/bunnings-beat-it-by-10-guarantee/15982/118
P.S.
We had good use of a Stefani branded ceramic benchtop water filter. It did need regular cleaning internally. The tap assembly which is replaceable began leaking after a number of years, the only major issue. Believe it is a brand exclusive to Bunnings. The product is made in Brazil?
What brand is the water distiller?
Where did you purchase it from?
Is the jug/“distilled water container” glass or plastic?
Does it need descaling often or at all?
What capacity is it?
I have found a few brands, most seem to be made overseas and many have a plastic water container that collects the distilled water. I’m looking for a glass container preferably and a machine that is easy to clean.
Having a hypothyroid my endocrinologist suggested avoiding fluoride in the drinking water by filtering. I researched and chose a Propur gravity fed option. 4.5 litre Nomad Propur with a ProOne G2 5” filter $267.00 + $25.00 postage Jan 2017 Certifications for contaminent removal are listed here ProOne® G3.0 5" - ProOne® Water Filters. Ceramic replacement filters are around $130.00 and have become difficult to source. I fill my stainless steel countertop tank with water that has sat overnight and I also scrub the outer part of the filter after 3 months, with a white scourer, then replace at 6 months.
Thank you for your information about Water Filter. I have a thyroid problem, therefore have had a filter for many years. The trouble is they are plastic, and I have not found any research into them so I don’t know if the plastic is safe or not. I did end up with blood cancer six years ago. OK now but chemo and radiation has just about ruined my strength and damaged two vertebra in my back. These products should be thoroughly inspected before they go on sale.
Is the filtering to remove fluoride from the water?
What type of filter do you use?
These would need to be filters like reverse osmosis or distillation devices usually. Though there are some gravity or pressure filters that use an aluminium oxide compound to help remove the fluoride. The compound has a very high surface area that removes the fluoride. This particular type of filter needs either regeneration or removal after it has become too ineffective. Regeneration is not suitable to be done in a home, it is a specialised service. The following is US based but is applicable here as to what these filters do and what pre-filtering may be needed.
According to the certifications for the filter you are using, there is no certification about fluoride removal. It has certification for lead, microplastics, chlorine, chloramines, and particulates (class I) of sizes 0.5 microns to 1 micron.
I would also appreciate Choice doing tests. We are in country Victoria & are on tank water. In 2018 the previous owners installed in the kitchen a Dual Filter System Mizu Quick Change with bench mounted outlet.But the 2 filters cost about $60 each & need to be replaced every 6 months. We are upgrading our kitchen & would like to get the best filters available & perhaps with ultra violet light.
This is such an important topic. I’m surprised no one has mentioned PFAS yet.
We’ve been using Royal Daulton cartridge filters in our counter top unit (a very basic ceramic container, not plumbed in) as they were the most affordable filter I could find that removed both unpleasant taste and other contaminants. Since learning about PFAS I contacted RD and they said my filter did remove PFAS, but this is not listed on the box.
It would be great if Choice could test filter cartridges, including how often they recommend replacing vs when they actually become less effective.
I was just browsing the Sydney Water site and found they now have a policy for reducing PFAs. https://www.sydneywater.com.au/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydneys-water/safe-drinking-water/water-analysis/pfas-and-drinking-water.html
