Tap water in the UK has to meet a number of stringent standards while it's at the treatment plant. From there, the water will travel for many miles, through a variety of different pipes along the mains water network, before it reaches your taps. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes your drinking water might pick up some unwelcome guests on its journey between the treatment plant and your home.
Depending on where you are in the country (and which water board manages your supply), your drinking water might contain slightly different elements and contaminants. UK tap water is known to contain some microplastics, and may also contain some heavy metals, such as small amounts of lead, mercury and cadium. Some tap water in the UK has been found to contain parasites such as cryptosporidium and giardia, along with bacteria like E. coli, cholera, typhoid, shigella and klebslella terrigena. The list doesn't stop there, with some UK tap water also known to pick up traces of some pesticides, rust, copper and other particulates as it travels to your home.
However, along with the things that you'd probably rather weren't in your drinking water, mains tap water also contains natural and beneficial minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and potassium which are essential for good health.
How do different types of water filter work?
Water filter jugs and most portable bottles with water filters work by using activated carbon to trap the particulates in our water, leaving cleaner water for us to drink. However, this type of filter can't filter out any bacteria that is present in the water.
Reverse osmosis water filters are designed to remove both pollutants and bacteria, but they also filter out the beneficial minerals that help water taste great and are good for your health.
Ceramic water filters are designed to remove the bacteria, pathogens and contaminants naturally, but leave the important healthy minerals behind, resulting in great-tasting filtered water that gives peace of mind for the whole family.
Why choose a Doulton® water filter?
At Doulton®, more than 180 years of research and development goes into our water filters. We use natural ceramic technology the trap the particles, bacteria and microplastics in mains water, and deliver filtered water straight to a tap in your kitchen, with the mechanics of our systems cleverly hidden out of sight under the sink. It's important to Doulton® that the water you drink should have contaminants removed but that the beneficial minerals remain, helping your water taste fresh and clean every time.