How Water Filters became obsolete!

Making sure you drink good quality water is an important part of a healthy, balanced life.

Hydration is crucial to our health and to the proper functioning of our bodies. Water plays a vital role in many metabolic processes, including body temperature regulation, digestion and joint lubrication. This is why it is essential to hydrate with good-quality water.

In Europe, tap water is mostly completely potable. However, its quality can be greatly improved, especially in terms of taste and smell, by using a water purifier, which most often uses a filtration system.

If domestic water filters have represented for several decades a practical and sometimes effective solution to improve the quality of the water we consume, it appears nevertheless more and more clearly that the negative points related to their use lead us to consider new more durable and more effective solutions.

 

 

Water filters: many (too many?) models

First of all, let’s note that there are many models of water filters, and if each one will have its own advantages and disadvantages. However, this proliferation of models on the market will tend to question, even lose the consumer.

Let’s leave aside the water softeners that are mostly used to remove limescale from your domestic water in order to protect your appliances, to focus on the water filters that will be found in your kitchen.

One of the most common water filter systems on the market is the activated carbon filter. You can find these filters in the cartridges of water filter jugs, on water filters that you attach directly to the faucet or under your kitchen sink. Activated carbon filters are often used to remove bad smells and tastes from water. These filters contain carbon that absorbs impurities.

You will also find Ion Exchange water filters. These filters are used to purify water by using small pieces of special materials that attract and capture the bad elements in the water. These special materials are called “ion exchange resins” which have the ability to exchange the bad elements present in the water with the good elements present in the resin. Once the bad elements are captured by the resins, they are then removed from the filter.

The most advanced water filter models use state-of-the-art treatment systems to remove the most persistent contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides, but these models are usually quite expensive.

The price varies considerably depending on the type and brand of water filter you choose, so it’s important to understand your water filtering needs before choosing a model.

 

 

Water filters: many drawbacks

If water filters can sometimes represent a solution (often of dubious efficiency) to improve the quality of the water we consume, they also have many drawbacks.

 

A demanding and expensive maintenance

Indeed, any domestic filtration system for your drinking water will require regular maintenance.

Over time, filters can become clogged with particles and impurities, which can reduce their efficiency and lead to poor water quality.

In addition, a water filter in poor condition can cause leaks and pressure problems, which can be hazardous to your health. Therefore, it is important to clean and replace filters frequently, every month for a carafe filter for example (make a note of this in your calendar!), and this obviously has a cost.

Finally, some filter purifiers such as sink-mounted reverse osmosis units can be cumbersome (and unattractive!) and require space to install. It is important to take these drawbacks into account when choosing a water filter to ensure that it suits your needs and lifestyle.

 

 

Taste and smell alterations

It is common for some water filters to alter the taste and smell of the water. This can be due to several factors.

First, some filters use materials that can affect the taste and smell of the water, such as activated carbon or silver.

Also, water may be exposed to high temperatures as it passes through the filter, which can alter its organoleptic properties.

Finally, some filters may allow impurities to pass through which can affect the taste and smell of the water.

 

Negative environmental impacts of water filters

Water filters have a negative environmental impact for several reasons:

 

• • Use of raw materials: Some water filters require the use of non-renewable raw materials, such as plastics, for their manufacture. This contributes to the consumption of natural resources and the production of plastic waste.
  • Waste Generation: Used filters or discarded cartridges can generate a large amount of waste that can be difficult to manage and can end up landing in oceans and natural areas, causing significant damage to ecosystems and the species that live there.
  • Impact on wastewater: Some filters can release polluting residues into wastewater that can harm ecosystems in streams or groundwater.
  • Carbon footprint: The manufacture, transportation and use of these filters have a carbon impact that can contribute to climate change.

If you are aware of environmentally responsible solutions, it is clear that an alternative to the use of a water filter is in order.

 

Let’s get rid of Bottled water !

You might think that if water filters are not such a great idea, then still remains bottled water…Well, plastic water bottles are among the most polluting product categories. Their manufacture has a significant impact on the environment and their daily use contributes to the pollution of oceans and natural areas. The plastic waste that pollutes our oceans is largely from plastic water bottles.

One of the other main drawbacks of plastic water bottles is their high cost of purchase. Indeed, in France for example, bottled water is 65 times more expensive on average than tap water! If you regularly buy plastic water bottles, it can quickly become expensive over the year and weigh on the family budget. An article in a French newspaper, the Dauphiné, tells us that depending on its water consumption, a French household can spend between 200 and 800 euros on bottled water per year, not to mention the unpleasant experience of having to carry around hundreds of litres of water.

Despite this, the market for plastic water bottles continues to flourish, particularly due to the growing demand for easily transportable containers.

It is important to make users aware of the consequences of their consumption of these products and to encourage them to opt for more sustainable alternatives.

 

LaVie: An innovative solution to purify drinking water without filtering it

Now you know the majority of the various disadvantages of the domestic water filter or the purchase of water in plastic bottles.

Should you anyway give up the idea of obtaining a better quality of your domestic water?

Obviously not! There are alternative and innovative solutions, without the use of water filtration systems, that bring better results.

LaVie water purifiers, which use a purification system without a water filter, meet these requirements.

 

 

LaVie, a new kind of water purifier

The development of LaVie water purifiers is the result of innovative research by the founders of Solable, a french company, accompanied by laboratory tests in France.

Instead of using filtration to purify tap water, LaVie water purifiers use UV-A radiation to destroy the chlorine in tap water, creating a chain reaction that purifies the water from other contaminants.

Within 15 minutes, your tap water is free of chlorine and the unwanted odors and flavors that accompany it. In addition, the chemical reaction that kills the chlorine is accompanied by the destruction of other impurities, such as pesticides and drug residues.

 

 

Say goodbye to water filters

As you can see, LaVie’s purification process is filterless! You won’t produce any plastic waste, you won’t have to buy consumables regularly and you won’t need much electricity (1.5€ for 1000 liters of purified water).

So, yes, like any industrial production there is a carbon footprint linked to the manufacturing of the LaVie water purifier’s aluminium tube. However, you should know that this is neutralized in a few days of use compared to the equivalent consumption of water in plastic bottles.

If this article has convinced you of the obsolescence of water filters, we invite you to visit the LaVie store to see which water purifier will suit your daily life.