A CONSUMERS’ GUIDE TO
DRINKING WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

for use on mains water supplies

This page is designed to show the range of drinking water treatment systems currently available and how they can be used to further improve the quality of mains drinking water.

INTRODUCTION

Concerns over the quality of water piped to our homes and the interest in healthy eating and nutrition have dramatically increased the demand for a higher quality of drinking water, illustrated by rapidly-increasing sales of bottled water in our supermarkets. Bottled water, however, is vastly more expensive than tap water treated by a plumbed-in filters.

In addition, in a 1998 Which? report, when a wide range of bottled waters was tested for mineral content, bacteria and taste, it was found that bottled waters are not necessarily healthier to drink than tap water.

So, the availability of filtered drinking water from a dedicated tap next to the kitchen sink would appear to be a highly practical, convenient, economic and attractive alternative to bottled water.
The range and choice of domestic drinking water treatment equipment and suppliers is expanding rapidly.

THE WATER SUPPLY TO YOUR HOME

Public or Mains Water Supplies

Most homes in the UK are supplied with mains water from a public water supply. Although only about 2% of water supplied to the home is used for drinking and cooking, it all has to be supplied as 'fit for drinking'. The quality of 'drinking water' is controlled by law under the terms of the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 1989. The implementation of these regulations and the continual improvement in water treatment and supply technologies has resulted in a high quality public water supply, as is shown in the Drinking Water Inspectorate's Annual Reports. Even so, tap water varies considerably from region to region in terms of taste, appearance and chemical composition leading to many consumers choosing to change the quality of the water that they drink. Below is a list of contaminants which can be effectively reduced by either filtration or purification.

These Impurities may be hazardous to health in large doses. They may not all necessarily be found in your water supply
Source Ecowater Systems (UK)Ltd