If you’ve got more than 400 ppm of dissolved solids in your water, ZeroWater cartridges might need replacing after just 10 gallons. At about $10 per filter, a water softener and reverse-osmosis system start looking more reasonable if you’re filtering more than a gallon per day of something like mineral-rich well water. With the fluoride-capturing Clearly Filtered pitcher, longer filter times are brita filter pitcher important to performance as well. But in this case it’s almost unbelievably slow — over twelve minutes to filter one cup with a barely used filter. We found the ZeroWater ZP-010 pitcher extremely difficult to use because the lid had a tight fit and no lip to push on, so it was hard to remove for filling. You have to squeeze the tip of the lid tightly and rely on a friction grip to get it open.
Such as microplastics, heavy metals, VOCs, endocrine disruptors PFOA and PFOS, pharmaceuticals and more, which we verified through a review of third-party test data. It has a rechargeable removable wand that powers the UV light, which is visible as the water filters through. Zero advises changing the filter to a TDS reading of 006, though this is a personal preference as some prefer more TDS in their water while others prefer less. One downside, however, is that it offers a higher yearly cost to replace the filters. Even the most harmless particles can add undesirable flavors, so whether you’re drinking water by itself, making coffee or brewing tea a filter pitcher will help.
If you let them go long enough, bacteria or mold can even start growing inside these filters. We switched our top performer, the ZeroWater, from a 10-cup to a 7-cup pitcher because smaller pitchers are slightly easier to handle. With the smaller ZeroWater, you lose the direct-pour spout at the base of the bigger ZeroWater pitchers, but the flow from that spout is only a trickle. The PUR pitcher is available with the lead-removing brita water filter faucet filters in a smaller pitcher, but Brita only sells the better filters with a 10-cup pitcher like the round-base Monterey. The Brita Stream filter removes only chlorine taste and odor; it is not certified to remove any organic compounds or heavy metals under ANSI/NSF Standard 53, and so it does not meet our requirements. It fits on Brita’s three Stream pitchers only—not on the Everyday or any of Brita’s other pitchers.
ZeroWater filters are some of the most expensive pitchers we tested. We looked around for alternatives that might allow cheaper replacement or regeneration of the ion-exchange resin beads, but this process is rare outside of industrial or laboratory use. The LifeStraw filter is ANSI/NSF certified for chlorine, taste and odor, lead, and mercury. The company brita water dispenser has also had its filters tested to multiple other ANSI/NSF standards by IAPMO US and IAPMO India, which are accredited by ANSI and the Water Quality Association, respectively. These include Standard 401 for emerging contaminants; cadmium, chromium (III), and copper; glyphosate; asbestos; and bacteria and parasites (something our other picks lack).
If not, all public water suppliers are required to give you their CCR upon request. But because of potential downstream contamination, the only way to know what’s in your home’s water for certain is to get it tested. Local water-quality labs can do this, or you can use home test kits. We looked at 11 of them for our guide and were very impressed with the SimpleWater Tap Score, which is easy to use and delivers a comprehensive, clearly written report on whatever your tap water contains.