Water filtration systems?

Hi all,

I'm not all that fond of the way our tap water tastes. Does anyone know anything about water filtration systems? I'm really out of my depth here. Is there one that is economical, looks nice and doesn't take up counter space?  Our kitchen is small so I'd like to get something that wouldn't be too bulky.  Also, do they have to be installed by a plumber or can I do it myself (with zero plumbing knowledge)?

Thank you in advance for any suggestions!

Yes, I'm a little obsessed with clean water. I also don't like buying water bottles and with all the limited space, definitely something I felt I needed to get on top of.

The best option for taste and not quite so economical (ours was around 400 quid) is a reverse osmosis system installed under your kitchen sink.  It filters water through a membrane using reverse osmosis and runs thru a series of cartridges which clean and add minerals back in. The is the cleanest water that can be made.  There is a small tank that holds the filtered water and a separate lever on your tap to dispense.  This requires basic plumbing skills (fitting a tap and connecting lines). We had our contractor install this for us but he said it is easy to install if you've ever installed a sink tap.  The downside is you need to change out the cartridges every 6 mos (60 quid) and the membrane every year (40 quid) and you need to donate some under the sink space.  The upside is the water is delicious and tastes better than most bottled water.  I'm not comparing it with Fiji water but just common bottled water. The retailer we bought it from is called Osmio Water.

The other option is a counter filtration system.  Those little jugs with charcoal filters like Brita are honestly a waste of money. They only filter out a few types of particles and don't really give you what you're looking for.  The best system you can get this would be a gravity fed system like the Berkey light or Big Berkey.  These will run you maybe $180 with filters and the filters last for 10 years. You can even add a fluoride removal filter for $40.  The downside is it sits up on your counter (a little over 2 feet) and takes up about the diameter of a dinner plate.  The cost is more affordable and you don't need plumbing skills. I've owned both and the water doesn't taste as good as in a reverse osmosis.

In summary, if you want something effective, you need to spend out a little and sacrifice a small amount of space.


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We bought our RO system outright but I found companies that you can rent a system from and they come out and put it in and service it.  This may be good if you're renting a home as well, check it out:  http://www.freshlysqueezedwater.org.uk/buyorrent.php


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Those little jugs with charcoal filters like Brita are honestly a waste of money. They only filter out a few types of particles and don't really give you what you're looking for. 

Very interesting.

I wonder about these jug systems. I bought one years ago when the flat I was in had water that tasted like lead solder. But It was fussy and I never used it for its stated purpose (I use it to water plants now).

It concerned me a little actually as it seems like a pretty good breeding ground for mossiness/pond life. Because it is an open, damp system with hard-to-get-at-to-clean areas. 

SOS, once again you are spot on.  I've heard stories about RO systems where the tank under the sink turned into s breeding ground of bacteria.  The water coming out was a third world quality soup of bacteria. 

I'm sure modern systems take care of that possibility and don't let my anecdote detract from Persephone's thoughtful post with real experience.  But you can keep it in mind when doing your research.

Can you not just convince yourself that tap water is Ok for most things and save yourself a load of trouble and money?

I buy cheap bottled water to put in my coffee machine because London tap water is really hard and will kill your appliances.


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Thanks Persephone for the detailed reply. Oh wow, I'm disappointed. I know we can't afford splashing out over £500 pounds at the moment.  (Although I will definitely keep this in mind for the future.) Also, we have no available counterspace on either side of our sink, as the dish drainer is on one side and a cabinet on the other (which we wouldn't be able to open if we had something sitting in front of it). I guess it is bottled water for me for the time being!

Thanks to everyone for your replies and input.

Very interesting.

I wonder about these jug systems. I bought one years ago when the flat I was in had water that tasted like lead solder. But It was fussy and I never used it for its stated purpose (I use it to water plants now).

It concerned me a little actually as it seems like a pretty good breeding ground for mossiness/pond life. Because it is an open, damp system with hard-to-get-at-to-clean areas.

Yep that's a problem with those jug systems because you need some form of sanitization tablets. They get really slimy as you've probably noticed.  The RO system has sanitization kits for around 13 quid so no issue (or they'd be shutting dental offices down all over the country).

Can you not just convince yourself that tap water is Ok for most things and save yourself a load of trouble and money?



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I suppose one could...but for me, it's putting a lot of trust in those good 'ol London pipes (and the reservoir tank in most attic spaces and the boiler tank, so on and so forth). The taste is a personal factor for sure but it's more the contamination factor for me.  I cook at home a lot and it's just not realistic to use all that bottled water.

Eh, just a personal priority to me is all. Just thought I'd share my experience.

I'm with you on the contamination thing.  I've seen some crazy water storage tanks in lofts and would bet most are full of dead rats.  It's not uncommon for British people to not want to drink from the hot water tap for exactly that reason. 

-----warning, don't read below if you are sensitive-------

At least twice I've read in the paper about people whose valves failed in their immersion heater.  This makes the hot water go up into that tank in the loft until all the water is boiling.  Then the tank melts and thousands of gallons of boiling water crashes through the ceiling!


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-----warning, don't read below if you are sensitive-------

At least twice I've read in the paper about people whose valves failed in their immersion heater.  This makes the hot water go up into that tank in the loft until all the water is boiling.  Then the tank melts and thousands of gallons of boiling water crashes through the ceiling!

Well there goes my sleep tonight! I fret about plumbing.

But on a related note....if you ever get an airlock, you can use this back flow method to refill the tank by "jumping" off the other tap. 

I guess it is bottled water for me for the time being!

Thanks to everyone for your replies and input.

Before you splash out on bottled water  , have you tried boiling your tap water? We boil a full kettle of tap water before going to bed and leave it to sit overnight. In the morning we fill glass bottles with the water and use that for drinking (and baking).

I'm not sure of it actually does anything, but a friend who was over at the weekend commented that the water at our flat always tastes better that at her flat (we both live in London, but at different ends).

Thanks, TravelingFrog. i guess I could do that in a pinch; thanks for the suggestion! The two of us drink about 4 litres of water a day.

Just move to the Scottish Highlands. We have the most amazing water. So good , so many companies bottle it up.