I’m going to bring up the old tap water v’s bottled water argument again as I’ve been sent a water filter jug to review and it’s got me thinking about whether products such as these are entirely necessary or not.
You see I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re either bothered by the thought of nasties (which actually if you look into it there aren’t really too many bad things in there, as by law the water companies aren’t legally allowed to give us shoddy water) in your tap water or you’re not. And I am deffo in the band of not bothered.
According to info on Water UK –
“By law your local water company has to supply wholesome water that is suitable for all domestic purposes, including drinking, cooking and washing. All public water supplies are regularly tested in England and Wales and the results which are published and available to every consumer on request show that tap water is safe to drink and there is no need to install additional treatment within the home as a health protection measure.”
So why all the fuss?
For some people it’s a taste thing. Depending on where you live in the UK your water supply will taste ever so slightly different. I know from experience that when I visit relatives that are only an hour away, their water tastes different to the stuff that comes out of my own taps. We all taste things differently, so you either like the taste of it or you don’t; simple. However, I personally believe that one of the biggest reasons people choose to drink bottled water rather than tap water is because of what they’ve been told. That the water they’re getting in a bottle is somehow cleaner, better for us, and we’re suckers for believing what we’re told!
I mean yes, so bottled water has been purified to a certain extent, but it’s not necessary and when you really think about it, that water’s been sat inside a plastic bottle absorbing all kinds of chemicals from the plastic… arguably more harmful right!?!
Which is where, if you are a fusspot with your water, then yes maybe I can see that a water filter jug would come in handy. Listen, I’ll let you make your own minds up, here’s what I think of the Zero Water Filter Jug, the rest is up to you.
Here’s the stuff you need to know:
- Cost = £39.99
- Capacity = 2.8 litres or 12 cups (depending on the size of your cup!)
- Removes 99.6% of impurities
- 5 stage filtration process
- Certified to reduce lead and chromium in the water
- Includes jug, 1 filter and 1 water quality meter.
The jug’s big, as you’d expect for a container that holds 2.8l, so unless you’ve got one of those American style fridges you’re certainly going to struggle fitting it in if you like your water super cold, and it’s gonna take up a lot of room on your worktop if you leave it out.
Then there’s the water quality meter, which granted seems like a good idea, I mean it makes sense to test your existing water to see how ‘bad’ it is, and it’s essential for knowing if the filter’s stopped working and needs changing, but honestly… it’s a bit of a faff. The actual testing part’s not so bad, but the convoluted guide on the website, which shows you levels of impurities etc. is confusing and I’d consider myself a relatively intelligent human being. Basically the meter will read 006 if it needs changing, that much I get, but what I have issue with is knowing when that’s likely to be, because what… you’re supposed to test it every time you drink it???
Ultimately, how long the filter lasts depends somewhat on the area of the country you live in and what’s in the water, but again I can’t help feeling as if it’s a bit of a complicated system, when we’ve all been drinking tap water for years and it’s not done us any harm!
The filter has a 5 stage filtration process which claims to remove virtually all dissolved solids based on EPA certified lab tests; conventional water filter jugs only use a two step filtration process, thus removing far less. The water you get from the Zero Water filter jug is of the same quality that you would expect from purified bottled water, but obviously over time it works out way cheaper to filter your water in this way than it does to buy bottled water, plus it cuts back on plastic use.
I dunno, maybe I’m missing the point, maybe you’d get used to testing your water all the time, maybe it becomes as part of your routine as say descaling the kettle, which might I point out I am also rubbish at doing. Hmm maybe this is more a reflection on just how slack I am, rather than the product itself!
Buy this if you can’t get your head around drinking tap water. Buy this if you spend a fortune on bottled water each week and are looking for ways to save money. Buy this if you prefer the taste of purified water. But personally… I’m sticking to tap water.
*product gifted for review
