When it comes to staying hydrated everyday, water is my go-to beverage, especially during a heatwave when I need to keep cool.
And if, like me, you don’t like the taste of regular tap water, or simply want to save a fortune on bottled water, having a countertop filter jug is a kitchen essential.
Essentially, filters reduce common tap water contaminants such as chlorine, heavy metals and microplastics often found in our water system.. And having used a few filter jugs over the years, I can honestly say these have certainly improved the taste and quality of my drinking water.
But while I’m pretty sure England’s tap water is perfectly safe to drink (without the risk of a stomach bug), I’ve always wondered how ‘clean’ it really is.
That was when I discovered the Culligan with ZeroWater Technology 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher that also tests the quality and cleanliness of water. It also comes with a 5-stage filtration to ensure it works faster to dissolve all the impurities (TDS) from your water.
So with that in mind, I put it to the test to find out exactly how ‘unclean’ my home’s tap water is. Here’s what happened.
What is TDS?
Essentially, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are organic and non-organic sediments in our water that affect the taste and appearance.
These compounds can include minerals, salts through contact with rock surfaces, or calcium, magnesium, iron, sodium chloride and sulphides (which are frequently found in groundwater supplies).
A TDS reader can tell you how high this level is in your water, and is measured in parts per million (PPM).
Here's what happened when I tested my water
Unlike others I’ve owned, the ZeroWater water filter pitcher comes with an integrated TDS meter so you can see the quality of your water in real-time.
Assembly was pretty straightforward, and after cleaning the pitcher with warm soapy water, I inserted the filter before filling it up with tap water from the faucet.
But I really wanted to know what my 5-filtration water filter would be up against.
I then filled a glass with tap water and inserted the TDS meter to check the quality.
Within seconds it gave a reading of 322 ppm, before slightly dipping to 316 ppm. I suddenly went into panic mode: was that a good reading or bad?
Fortunately, I was relieved to know that this reading was fine. According to Culligan, the normal TDS level ranges from 50 ppm to 1,000 ppm.
However, anything above 500 might affect the taste, but generally not a health risk unless there are specific contaminants present.
Despite my water quality being in the ‘safe’ zone, I was still surprised that it still had a relatively high reading, and not in the low, double-figures.
Needless to say, I was impressed at the ZeroWater filter pitcher's ability to quickly dissolve '99.99% impurities'. In fact, the TDS reading remained at a steady 0 — meaning that it did a grand job.
Plus, the water filer pitcher can easily be stored in the refrigerator for instant, chilled water.
Despite my tap water being in the 'normal' reading, I'm still not converted to drinking from the faucet. I'll definitely be sticking with filtered or bottled water from now on.
Where to buy
The Culligan with ZeroWater Technology 10-Cup Water Filter Pitcher is available to buy for $29 on Amazon .
