# Water filtration pitchers



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Thought this might be of some interest to some of you. Here in AZ., we filter our drinking water that comes from the tap. 

We've been using a Brita water filtering pitcher for several years. We thought that it's been doing a fine job up until now. My wife purchased a Zero Water pitcher about a week or so ago. She got it while on sale. 

We tried it out just today. It comes with a water tester, that tests the water for contaminants and/or particulates, or dissolved solids, including lead. 

We took the tester that came with the Zero Water pitcher, and first tested our tap water. The results were 144. We then tested the water from our Brita water pitcher. It's results were 88. We then decided to test some bottled water. Results were 20. 

We then filled up the Zero Water pitcher and waited for it to purify some water. Results were 000. 

The Zero Water pitcher my wife purchased, also came with an individual drinking mug. The Zero Water uses a 5-stage filtering process. The Brita uses a 2-stage process. It's also bigger than our Brita pitcher and the Zero Water pitcher has a tap on it, just under the handle, so that you can fill a cup or glass w/o having to remove the pitcher from the fridge. 

Anyways, we're convinced that it's a good thing and is legit. The replacement filters can run up to or about $12.00 ea., depending on the source. How long they last of course will depend upon the size of your family and how much water you go thru. 

I don't go to the trouble to endorse things all that much. But, when something comes along and makes you take notice, well then, that's a whole different story.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

We have a four-stage filter system that delivers delicious water to a spigot at our kitchen sink.
All of the other water sources in our house are straight-from-the-well unfiltered, and we don't drink that.

Our unfiltered, straight-from-the-well water is now pretty much OK.
Previously, it was loaded with manganese, which made it taste and smell like sulfur dioxide ("rotten eggs").
Our water system (20 families) was so plagued with manganese sediment that I thought we could make a profit from mining it out of our storage tank and selling it to the government.
Now the manganese is removed at the well-head, chlorine is injected, and the result is potable (but it tastes of chlorine).
Nevertheless, we maintain our own filter system: Suspenders and belt.

We have a water manager, a part-time salaried employee, who monitors our water quality and keeps the chlorine "bubble machine" working properly. She also makes killer blueberry preserves, which she bribes me with every so often.
I haven't seen a recent water test sheet, but I know that our treated well water falls well within Washington State's "000-like" water-quality requirement. (If it didn't, I'd be one of the first people the state would contact about it.)

Our "tenant," the once-homeless lady who lives on our property, uses a Zero Water pitcher that we gave her a couple of Christmases ago. (She now buys her own replacement filters.)
She says the same things about it that you've said about yours.


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## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

All of my drinking water is filtered at least 7 times before consumption. My wife uses a Brita for her flowers to make sure no chlorine gets through the home system.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

AZ. has a history of poor water quality. Pretty much state-wide. 

Lots of particulates in it.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

I double filter my well but it is good clean water. I do carry purification filters when trail riding and traveling to different parts of the country. Just learned I don't have to bring my own water if I visit Az. big surprise.


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

Paratrooper, I got a real chuckle reading your post because....I could have written it.
I started with a PUR pitcher. It was OK for a few months, then the pitcher started leaking. I contacted PUR & they had me ship the pitcher back to them. They sent me a replacement that came with a new filter, but I immediately noticed the water didn't taste nearly as good as it used to, and neither did the coffee. They probably cheaped out on the filter to save costs.

I read up on the Zero Water pitcher & decided to get one when I saw it at "Bed, Bath & Beyond." The water tester is interesting. When I test my tap water, it always reads 188-199 & the included chart of the TDS for the US says CA is one of the highest.
I've been using the Zero pitcher for two months & the tester still indicates "00" with the filtered water & it tastes as good as bottled water. And the coffee (which I'm picky about) still tastes great.
By the way, I never thought to test bottled water, so after reading your post, I tested Arrowhead water. It read 225. The Zero water still reads "00."


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Zero water pitcher.....
https://www.amazon.com/ZeroWater-Pi...1517033234&sr=8-4&keywords=zero+water+pitcher


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

paratrooper said:


> AZ. has a history of poor water quality...Lots of particulates in it.


I believe that it's called "sand."


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I believe that it's called "sand."


You could be right. We have lots of clay here as well.

Houses with basements are a rarity around here.


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## AZdave (Oct 23, 2015)

tony pasley said:


> I double filter my well but it is good clean water. I do carry purification filters when trail riding and traveling to different parts of the country. Just learned I don't have to bring my own water if I visit Az. big surprise.


Hey Tony what filters do you use?
I've been hiking some and always want some backup.

@paratrooper Thanks I think I'll start looking for a filter.


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

olout said:


> So I have the same problem. My water smells like rotten eggs. I can buy bottled water, but it seems stupid to have a trash can full of empty plastic bottles. Initially I was considering Brita pitcher, but then discovered another Brita unit that can be put on faucet which seems to be much comfy to use (found out about the unit here https://iwaterpurification.com/best-faucet-water-filter/ ). Am I on the right track? I can google but would like to know based on experiences.


My kitchen has a "pull-down sprayer" faucet, so the faucet mounted water filters will not fit. When I put in the new faucet, I went ahead and bought an "under the sink" water purifier. We had used the Britta water pitchers in other houses, but the fridge now has too much stuff in it for a pitcher style filter to be appropriate.

I have looked at the Zero Water pitcher and would undoubtedly go that route, if I were to go back to a pitcher style filter. It sure is nice, however to just turn a selector on the sink for drinking/cooking water or dish washing water.

BTW - the dog has no preference, but the cats prefer the unfiltered water.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

I like a much larger gravity feed filter that could filter rain, lake or stream water if we lost tap water. I have a large barrel the roof and gutters feed and we get a lot of rain in Florida. I have a two gallon Big Berkey filter with white ceramic filters. I intend to buy the newer black filters next time I order. I think it's rated to 15 gallons per day if needed and needs no electricity, well or city water. It will filter down to around a micron which is the size of bacteria. It's not cheap, but gives peace of mind. You can clean those filters with soapy water and Scotch Bright. Depending on the model, they cost between $200 and $300.

When I was a child, we lost city water and electric for over a month after Hurricane Donna. There was no bottled water to speak of in those days. Dad used a clean tarp and a new trash can to collect rain water. We did all our cooking on a Coleman stove with white gas or our BBQ pit. The toilets still worked, but you had to pour in lake water. A Big Berkey water filter would have come in quite handy back then. We lived on a small spring fed lake and took our baths there. What fun for kids, but a pita for parents.

https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/


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## TheReaper (Nov 14, 2008)

Craigh said:


> I like a much larger gravity feed filter that could filter rain, lake or stream water if we lost tap water. I have a large barrel the roof and gutters feed and we get a lot of rain in Florida. I have a two gallon Big Berkey filter with white ceramic filters. I intend to buy the newer black filters next time I order. I think it's rated to 15 gallons per day if needed and needs no electricity, well or city water. It will filter down to around a micron which is the size of bacteria. It's not cheap, but gives peace of mind. You can clean those filters with soapy water and Scotch Bright. Depending on the model, they cost between $200 and $300.
> 
> When I was a child, we lost city water and electric for over a month after Hurricane Donna. There was no bottled water to speak of in those days. Dad used a clean tarp and a new trash can to collect rain water. We did all our cooking on a Coleman stove with *white gas* or our BBQ pit. The toilets still worked, but you had to pour in lake water. A Big Berkey water filter would have come in quite handy back then. We lived on a small spring fed lake and took our baths there. What fun for kids, but a pita for parents.
> 
> https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/


White Gas, only older people know what that is.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

TheReaper said:


> White Gas, only older people know what that is.


You're right. Unfortunately no gas station I know of sells White Gasoline like Amoco did when I was younger. My family camped a lot when I was a child. We used tents, Coleman Stoves, and Lanterns. As we neared our destination, dad would look for an Amoco station to buy a couple of gallons of their white gasoline. As I remember, it was under 30 cents per gallon, but I could be wrong.

Today, things are different. There is no auto gasoline you should use in a stove or lantern. There's too many additives as well as ethanol. People I know who've used it often end up clogged up and hard to clean parts. Moreover, modern gasoline is too volatile to be safe in camp items. White gas you buy in a can from Walmart made by Coleman, Crown, or MSR is light hydrotreated petroleum naphtha. Whereas auto gasoline has a vapor pressure between 7.5 PSI and 9.5 PSI, white camping gas is closer to 5 PSI at 70 F which is much less volatile; thus safer and worth the price these days. Lately, I've paid as little as $7/gallon for Crown at Walmart on sale. MSR costs more than that by the quart but is cleaner. If I were backpacking (probably never again) I'd want the best to be on the safe side and buy the MSR, but only in that situation. Otherwise, Crown is just as clean and cheaper than Coleman by about $4/gallon. I've stocked up because my Walmart seems only to have Crown when it's on sale.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

We're still happy with the Zero Water pitcher. My wife is still using our Brita water pitcher. She fills it and then pours that water into the Zero Water pitcher. She figures doing that will make the filter in the Zero Water pitcher last longer. If I recall, those filters cost about $15.00 or so each. You can get them for $12.00 or so if you buy a 4-pack. 

Anyways, at this stage in life, I don't argue with her. I pick & choose my battles carefully. She's a good cook and takes good care of me. And, for the most part, we think alike. It took 37 yrs. to get there. No way I'm starting over.............


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## win231 (Aug 5, 2015)

I'm sharing a useful post I read on Amazon that applies to pitcher filters. Some reviewers complained about a "fishy" smell in the water after a few weeks of use. A research scientist reviewed the Zero Pitcher & he made a suggestion that really works. He explained that if you keep the pitcher filled all the time, the filter will be soaking in water constantly & that can cause odors & taste to go bad - mold, bacteria, etc. & will also cause you to buy filters more often. After the water goes through the filter, it should be used immediately & the unused water poured into a different container so the filter can dry between uses.
I've been doing that & the water is still good after two months. And the tester still reads 0.0.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

win231 said:


> I'm sharing a useful post I read on Amazon that applies to pitcher filters. Some reviewers complained about a "fishy" smell in the water after a few weeks of use. A research scientist reviewed the Zero Pitcher & he made a suggestion that really works. He explained that if you keep the pitcher filled all the time, the filter will be soaking in water constantly & that can cause odors & taste to go bad - mold, bacteria, etc. & will also cause you to buy filters more often. After the water goes through the filter, it should be used immediately & the unused water poured into a different container so the filter can dry between uses.
> I've been doing that & the water is still good after two months. And the tester still reads 0.0.


Good info! I'll pass that on to my better half.


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## glentlor (Mar 21, 2021)

I just use the EHM Alkaline Water Pitcher. Surprisingly, the filtered water of the EHM tastes so good! It has a smooth, smooth and round quality. Almost reminds me of well water. It helps to get rid of the sour and sharp notes of my normal filtered water. Very satisfied with it.


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## rnielday (Nov 2, 2021)

We have ZeroWater ZP-010 and are happy with it. I appreciate the taste and clarity of the filtered clean water, it tastes great.


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## glentlor (Mar 21, 2021)

I use the Epic nano water filter pitcher and am very happy with it. Products are handled quickly and properly. Filtered water tastes good.


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## cyrusjuliet (7 mo ago)

Berkey Water Filters have proven to be one of the most cost-effective water purifying systems available for your house for many years. Berkey filters remove sediments, germs, and pollutants from water without the need of power.


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