With consumers becoming more environmentally aware, people are looking for eco-friendly alternatives to buying bottled drinking water. The most popular option being water filter jugs, closely followed by under-sink drinking water filtration systems.

It is estimated that approximately 30% of households in the UK use filter jugs as an alternative to both plastic bottled water and drinking tap water. Filtering your drinking water not only improves its taste, but it also removes impurities like chlorine and organic compounds which are used by water municipalities to treat the water that feeds your home. Whilst filter jugs may be a proven effective way to improve the quality of your drinking water, how do they compare to a filter system?

What Is A Drinking Water Filter System?
A drinking water filter system typically comprises of one or more stages to filter and treat your water. They are designed for plumbing into the pipework under your sink, meaning filtered water can be dispensed from your existing kitchen tap or a separate mini-tap. The two most popular stages in a drinking water filter system include a sediment filter (to reduce any unwanted particulate) and a carbon filter (to remove discolouration, chlorine taste and odour as well as other organic compounds).

Filter Jugs Versus Drinking Water Filter Systems

Performance
Both filter jugs and under-sink drinking water filter systems tend to use the same technologies to treat your water – Carbon treatment being the most popular as by removing taste and odour caused by Chlorine you can enjoy bottle quality drinking water. An under-sink system utilises much larger filter cartridges when compared to a filter jug, allowing for a larger capacity and as such, filter changes are required less often and flow rates through the system is greater. Under-sink systems can be customised by adding more stages, giving the user more control over how they want their water filtered and treated.

Learn More About What’s In Your Drinking Water

Practicality
When it comes to practicality, both options have their own merits. Filter jugs for example, are portable and do not require any kind of installation, where as drinking water systems require plumbing into the mains water feed under your sink. Although this might sound like a more complex option, once installed you have the benefit of a reduced number of filter changes (every 6-12 months instead of every 30 days) and you aren’t restricted to the capacity of the filter jug itself (which usually hold approximately 1-2 litres).

The Environment
Both filter jugs and under-sink systems are a huge improvement compared to buying bottled water. Filter jugs require more frequent filter changes, with the used filter cartridge needing replacement after around 30 days of use. Drinking water filtration systems on the other hand are designed to offer increased capacity, meaning filters only need to be replaced every 6-12 months depending on usage – so means less expended cartridges going to landfill.

Cost
The cost of filter jugs can vary, with market leading brands priced anywhere from £12 to £40+ depending on their capacity and features. Comparing this to a filtration system like our 1 Stage Drinking Water System which costs £50 it does make them a great entry-level solution to improving water quality, but where things start to get really interesting is when considering the ongoing maintenance costs.

Water Filter Jugs Versus Drinking Water Filter Systems Cost Comparison

You can see from the comparison table above that customers can save up to 60% on ongoing filter changes by opting for a 1 stage system, or 47% if a 2 Stage Drinking Water System is preferred. Although it’s important to note that these cost savings don’t include the cost of installation. The cost for installation can vary but is usually charged at 1-2 hours of your local plumbers rate, so should be considered if looking for the cheapest option in the short term.

Which Option Is Best?

Which option is best really comes down to a few key points including your budget, existing water quality and preference. For most customers filter jugs are an excellent entry-level option to make their drinking water more palatable, but others may prefer something a bit more robust that can be plumbed in to their tap. Locations that are highly populated or have regular remedial works will often suffer from an increase in water sediment, which a filter jug will struggle to remove.

For customers that are unsure of which system to choose, or would like some advice please feel free to get in touch with us via phone, live chat or email.