Pros and Cons of Water Filtration Systems and Processes

Pitcher

Low upfront cost; no installation needed.

Does not remove all contaminants; filters must be changed every couple of months and will increase the yearly cost of the filter system; filtration is slow.

Faucet/On the Counter

Relatively inexpensive; can switch between filtered and unfiltered water; easy to install; ideal for drinking and cooking water.

Faucet mounted may not fit on all faucets; decreases flow rate; filters are changed every couple of months.

On the counter may require some installation and can take up space; can sometimes be expensive.

Under-sink

Filter system is out of sight; infrequent filter changes; ideal for drinking and cooking water.

Requires installation; can sometimes be expensive; takes up cabinet space.

Whole House

Whole house kept clean from one system; various processes available; if system uses filters they are changed every couple of years.

Professionally installed; very expensive.

Reverse Osmosis

Removes most unwanted contaminants.

5-step process; filters replaced frequently; very expensive; wastes a lot of water.

Distillation

Removes heavy metals, fluorides and bacteria.

Not energy efficient; takes up a lot of space; very expensive.

Ultraviolet (UV)

Does not use heat or chemicals to remove contaminants.

Any color in water will prevent UV from working; sometimes filtration is necessary prior to UV; has a low effectiveness for removing chemicals.