Bottled Water
US consumers spend more than $7 billion per year on bottled water. Just look at the water bottles in your local convenience store coolers and its obvious that the water bottlers want you to believe you are choosing naturally-pure spring fed or glacier-fed water. But the reality is that last year 25% of all bottles of "bottled water" sold in this country were nothing more than tap water and even worse, much of this was not even filtered and purified tap water. So, if you are going to drink filtered water then why not filter your own?
Add to this the cost of bottling & transporting bottled water and the ecological cost of throwing away your empty water bottle and you can see that bottled water is basically an ecological nightmare. But what about recycling? Of the 89 billion liters of bottled water produced last year, about 1.5 million tons (or three billion pounds) of plastic end up in landfills across the country.
If you are interested in drinking clean water with a minimum envronmental impact and a minimum wallet impact then a under counter water filter is the best long term investment for your home. For a small up-front cost you can deliver a unlimited supply of clean, chloring free water to your kitchen faucet for cooking and drinking for a fraction of the cost of bottled water. Then you can go shopping for a few nice looking insulated reuseable water bottles that you actually like to carry around.
Under Counter Water Filter Comparison
| Under Counter Filter | Faucet Mount Filter | Water Pitcher | Bottled Water | |
| Initial Investment |
$100 - $250 depending on brand and options | $35 - $70 | $24 - $40 | $1.00 or more per 20 oz bottle |
| Replacement Cost |
$40 - $80 depending on brand and options | $20 - full retail | $7 - $12 | N/A |
| Ease of Install | Some hand tools and and some work required but not above the typical homeowner | Easy but you need a good set of slip joint pliers to remove the original faucet aerator | N/A | N/A |
| Availability | Under counter type filters are available from every quality filter reseller including us. | Sold through most mega-mart chain stores | Convenience stores - and you pay for that convenience | |
| Support | We know filters and can help you decide which filter best supports your needs. | Just try asking the mega-mart chain store which filter is best for you - the best they can do is say "the filters are over there". | N/A | |
|
Replacement Availability |
Stick with a name brand filter system like 3M/Cuno, EVERPURE or ONMIPURE and you can always find the correct replacement filters on-line. | All faucet mount filters and water pitchers take their own custom cartridges and you are at the mercy of the manufacturers. And these manufacturers are always evolving, leaving last year's filter or pitcher and its replacement cartridges behind. | N/A | |
| Adaptability | Problem with chlorine? With setiment? Water not clear? Smells like seaweed? Concerned about your municipal water supply? Tell us your symptoms and in a few minutes we can help you select the correct filter or filters for your needs. | Do you
expect them to put much in those itty bitty cartridges? Most contain a simple paper filter and granualted carbon filter - much like a aquarium filter, only much smaller. |
N/A | |
| "Fuss" Factor |
Replace once a year | Replace at least once a month | "Who forgot to fill the pitcher?" | No fuss |
| Environment Cost |
Minimal | Moderate | Moderate, assuming you keep the pitcher "forever" | Massive - plasic bottles are filling up our landfills (1.5 million tons or 3 billion pounds last year) |
| Gallons per Filter |
1000 - 3000 depending on the system | 100 (typical) | 30 (typical) | N/A |
| Cost per Gallon |
Less than 10 cents / gallon | Typically 20 cents per gallon | 20 cents to 40 cents per gallon | Don't make me laugh |
Mark Powers & Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 72 • 1821 Henry Street • Guntersville, AL 35976
Phone: (800) 633-2256 Fax: (800) 216-6606
E-Mail: orders@markpowers-and-company.com