08/06/2022

How important is filtration for drinking water?

With microplastics and other contaminants lurking in the water supply of both bottled and tap water, is now the time to turn to a filtered drinking water system?

According to a report conducted by the WWF, the average person consumes the “equivalent of a credit card's worth of plastic in a week”. Most of this is found in the water supply.

Impurities, from microplastics to dirt, have long been a part of the water supply all around the world. Though this has never risen to unsafe levels in the average household in the UK, which is highly regulated, the health benefits of removing these contaminants is something worth considering.

We will discuss the importance of filtration in terms of health and impurities, as well as the impact advanced filtration can make on taste and odour.

Why is filtration important in drinking water?

The UK is lucky enough to enjoy some of the safest tap water to drink in the world – but even this highly regulated supply can still contain contaminants. General awareness of the content of drinking water is on the rise; with the likes of microplastics now entering the public’s collective consciousness, it is becoming increasingly common knowledge that even the UK’s tap water is not entirely free of impurities.

Though safe to drink, water from a normal tap simply does not have the technology required to filter out all the contaminants present. Microplastics, bacteria, dirt and other impurities can enter the water supply.

Common impurities in tap water include:

●       Microplastics 

●       Heavy metals like lead and arsenic

●       Chemicals and PFA

●       Chlorine

Where you might expect bottled water to surpass all others in terms of purity, it actually lags behind. Microplastics are found in excessive amounts in bottled water, according to research conducted by Orb Media.

Why are there two filters in a HydroTap?

Using a dual-filtration system, the Zip HydroTap® is able to combat contaminants that affect taste, smell and potentially health, and the blight that plagues hard water areas everywhere; limescale.

Many instant filter taps only use traditional carbon blocks within a cartridge to filter water. Zip elevates the filtration level by combining carbon and sediment blocks into one cartridge using a unique moulding technology called Fibredyne. This allows the Zip HydroTap® to remove dirt, bacteria, microplastics and any other contaminants larger than 0.2 micron from the water, as well as 97% of chlorine and 99.9% of microbiological cysts. Unlike in distilled water, beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium can still be enjoyed.

Working in tandem, the two filters prevent the build up of limescale and handle the impurities of the water. Limescale prevention filters and Zip’s MicroPurity™ filter are both necessary to achieve the highest-level of filtration possible.

Dual filters also maximise the time between service intervals as the HydroTap ensures it only filters the water through the appropriate filter for the water type dispensed. Filters have a maximum volume of water they can filter and if not replaced when expired they simply stop filtering.

It’s not just performance that sets Zip HydroTap filters apart, but the fact they are independently evaluated and certified to specific standards; NSF 42 (aesthetic effects) and where applicable also NSF 53 (health effects). They are also certified under the WRAS Certification Scheme, which verifies both performance and product conformance to regulatory standards.

Only by using genuine Zip filters can you be sure that your product delivers the aforementioned health benefits, protections of contaminant removal and required compliance.