Pro’s and Cons of Water Bottle with Filter
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Every one of us is very keen on what we eat and drink. Clean drinking water is as important as any other thing we need. We always make sure that water we consume is as pure as possible. This is understandable because drinking unclean water can cause havoc for our health. Clean water is always a must.
During the last few decades, the bottled water industry has made huge progress marketing water in the bottle. Even people in the water treatment industry admit to using conveniently available bottled water while
on trips, in the gym and even at work. The downside to bottled water is the plastic bottle itself. It’s not news to us that it would take over 400 years for the degradation of a plastic bottle. Each year, there are over 38 billion plastic water bottles deposited in landfills. This fact has a drastic effect on our environment.
We should take into consideration how we can help our environment. It’s more practical to find a way to prevent us from buying plastic water bottles. An alternative solution to this dilemma is to use a water bottle with a filter.
With a water bottle with a filter, ordinary tap water can be filtered over and over again. It is reusable, so wherever we go, we can bring it with us. It’s handy and practical. We can help to not only save our planet from too much plastic but also save money.
Water bottles with filters are water bottles with a built-in filtration system. You can simply put ordinary water in it, and then contaminants and other chemicals are removed by its own filtration system. A water bottle with a filter has its own personal filtration system.
We should start using water bottles with filters instead of plain plastic bottles. It is safer not only for our health but also to our environment.
Lately, water bottles with filters are becoming more and more popular. Due to this popularity, many known purification companies have created their own versions of this popular product. Some are only effective for treated municipal water, as the bottle only filters out chlorine odors resulting from the disinfection process. There are also water bottles with filters that filter non-potable water; this is very popular for people who love to travel to places where clean water is inaccessible.
A list of popular water filtration bottles:
- Brita Bottle – This bottle is created by the company Brita, a water purification company famous for their water filtration and purification products. Now, they’ve also ventured into creating a water bottle with a filter that is BPA-free, easy to use and very handy to take anywhere you go. The filter is reusable for up to 150 refills. It’s one of the most well-known water filter bottles. Suitable for use with pretreated municipal supply water.
- The CamelBak Stainless Steel Groove Filter Water Bottle – It might be durable, but this bottle can only be used for municipal potable water, as it only improves taste and removes chlorine smell from water.
- The LivPURE Filtered Water Bottle – Also a well-known bottle and a bit similar to Brita’s bottle. The difference is that LivPURE’s filter is incorporated in its cap and can be used for up to 500 refills, while the Brita bottle’s filter can be used for up to 150 refills only.
- The Katadyn MyBottle – This is by far the most recommended bottle for people that travel to countries with very limited potable water or water with very poor sanitation standards. This is the only water filter bottle approved by the EPA. It outweighs other bottle filters in the market. The design is standardized so that it can filter out any disease-causing protozoa and viruses from unprocessed water. If you need a more radical water bottle filter, this one is for you.
How does a water bottle with a filter work?
A water bottler filter has its own built-in filter system which makes it very easy to use. There are different manufacturers of water bottles with filters, and each design works in special ways. There are bottle designs that will filter water as you drink it, while there are also designs that filter the water as you pour it into the bottle. Despite this differences, all water bottles with filters have the same main purpose: to remove a limited number of water impurities or contaminants.
The idea of this bottle is exceptional. By simply putting any tap water into the water bottle with a filter you can have clean, potable drinking water. Each bottle has a filter that is made of activated charcoal that has a slight electro-positive charge that will eventually be exhausted. As the water passes through the filter, the filter will remove most of the chlorine, some heavy metals and odd taste from the water. So, when the water hits your mouth, it’s already been filtered.
This is really handy, convenient and efficient, especially when you are away from home and are out of potable water or in places where potable water is scarce.
The Different Uses of Water Bottle with Filters
The water bottle with a filter has its different uses. Depending on the design, it has many different features. There are designs that are made of stainless steel, which makes it possible to boil water in it; this is very cool for people who love to spend time having a cup of coffee in the wilderness.
Also, since the bottle is slender in shape, it can fit easily into a backpack, and you can drink in it even on a rough ride without worrying about spilling precious water.
Some filters might remove bacteria, parasites, and even viruses. The filter has the same quality as any other simple water filters in the market. Just keep in mind that the quality of the water filtration is not even close to reverse osmosis or distillation.
It can also be used as a normal water bottle without the filter since the filter can be removed (depending on the design). It’s very convenient to use.
The Many Benefits of Water Bottles with Filters
The popularity of water bottles with filters soared high due to their many benefits. Many people are starting to love and recommend this product to everyone.
Here are several advantages of water bottles with filters.
Cost – Nowadays, we tend to buy bottled water, as we are no longer confident to drink water directly from the faucet. When we also go out, we buy small bottles of water when we’re thirsty. If we add up how much we spend buying bottled water, we would realize that it is a lot. Having a water bottle with a filter is a big alternative to save money. Since this type of water bottle has its own filter, we can securely use tap water. It will prevent us from buying bottled water every now and then. This is one big advantage of using water bottles with filters.
Environmental impact – Normal water bottles always end up in landfills that have a big impact on the environment since it takes time for plastic to degrade. Also, it takes up a big amount of energy to make bottles, plus the energy it costs to deliver and store bottles before selling them. Having a refillable water bottle with a built-in filter is environmentally friendly and more efficient to use. This is a good alternative to help save the environment.
Convenience – Isn’t it very convenient to have a ready-to-go bottle that you can use wherever you are? You use any tap water and be sure that you are drinking safe water. Convenience is one advantage of a water bottle filter. You can use a water bottle with a filter when you are away and traveling to places where potable water is scarce and far from convenience stores. It is easy to use and guaranteed that you’re drinking filtered water.
An alternative to disinfection tablets – There are the so-called disinfection tablets that are used to disinfect water. They are small and easy to use. You put the tablet in the water, but it would take a couple of hours before it will dissolve and you can use the water. Also, when you run out of tablets, it’ll be hard to find a store to buy them from. So, it’s practical to have a water bottle filter on hand.
It’s an alternative to using ultraviolet light wands to disinfect water. UV light wands disinfect water fast, but they need batteries. You need to always have backup batteries in case one goes dead. Once all the batteries are dead, you can’t use it. With water bottles with filters, there’s no need to use any batteries.
Alternative to using hard pump filters – Hard pump filters clean water fast, but they’re bulky and very uncomfortable to use. Most hikers use this, but if you are not hiking this hard pump filters are not very practical. So, a water bottle with a filter is a great alternative to use.
Another way of disinfecting water – killing harmful germs is by boiling. This is the most natural way of disinfecting water, making it safe to drink. However, boiling water takes up a lot of time. Either you are at home, outside hiking or in the wilderness; boiling water just takes time. This is where water bottle filters become handy. There’s no need to start a fire and boil. With a water bottle filter, you can just put water in it and drink.
Few Shortcomings of Water Bottles with Filters
Although there are many, water bottle filters have many advantages, and they also have shortcomings. Nothing is always perfect.
One disadvantage is that you need to drink through the straw. Compared to a normal bottle, it’s a bit slower to drink from a straw. It’s not really that much of a problem, though, because as soon as the filter is broken in, then water will start to pour faster.
Most water bottler filters are made of stainless steel. Though it looks cool, it’s a bit heavy. If the water bottle is made of titanium, it will be much lighter. People just love everything that’s handy and doesn’t weight much.
There are also models that are made from plastic that weigh less compared to the stainless steel ones.
When you’re on longer hikes, you will need more water. A bigger container holds more water. Most water bottles with filters are small and hold about 20 ounces of water. This amount will not be enough for long hikes.
These are the very few disadvantages of water bottles with filters. The Major disadvantage is that the water purity might equal to bottled water sold in the store, still not as pure as reverse osmosis water.
Conclusion
If you are always on the go and need your own water filtering system, the water bottle with a filter is the best thing to have. This will clean any tap water and is very convenient, especially if you are in a place where potable water is inaccessible. Also, it does not cost much and is reusable, so it limits any environmental effect.
It has many advantages that overshadow its very few disadvantages. This is a great thing to have on a regular basis. This is best for people who are always traveling or going hiking or just anyone who’s always on the go and loves to bring a bottle of water just in case they feel thirsty.
It does not cost much. Instead, it saves you money from always buying bottled water. It’s very convenient, handy to use, environment-friendly and the best alternative to using disinfectant tables, ultraviolet light wands, hard pump filters and boiling methods.
A water bottle with a filter is one of the best on-the-go ways to filter water when reverse osmosis system is not available.