Filtered and distilled water are not the same, although they are both forms of water purification. Filtration and distillation are among the most common methods. While both serve the purpose of making water cleaner, they operate differently and produce water with varying levels of purity.
What is Filtered Water?
Filtered water is water that has passed through a medium designed to remove impurities. The level of filtration depends on the type of filter used. A filter is any material or device that physically blocks, chemically absorbs, or biologically neutralizes contaminants. Common types of water filters include activated carbon filters, reverse osmosis membranes, ceramic filters, and ultraviolet (UV) purification systems.
Activated carbon filters are widely used in household water filtration systems. They remove chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other chemicals that affect the taste and smell of water. Reverse osmosis filters use a semi-permeable membrane to remove some contaminants, including heavy metals, bacteria, and dissolved solids. Ceramic filters, often found in portable water systems, trap sediments, bacteria, and some parasites. UV purification systems use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and viruses, making the water micro-biologically safe without altering its chemical composition.
Filtration does not remove all possible contaminants, especially those dissolved in the water at a molecular level.
What is Distilled Water?
Distilled water is water that has undergone the process of distillation, a purification method that involves boiling water to create steam and then condensing that steam back into liquid form. This process effectively separates pure water molecules from nearly all other substances, leaving behind most impurities, including minerals, heavy metals, chemicals, and microorganisms.
Distillation mirrors the natural water cycle, where water evaporates, leaving contaminants behind, and condenses into precipitation. Distillation removes almost everything except water, and distilled water is a popular drinking water worldwide. It is also used in laboratories, medical applications, and industries requiring ultra-pure water. It is also commonly used in household appliances like steam irons and humidifiers to prevent mineral buildup.
Why is Distilled Water More Pure Than Filters?
Distilled water is considered one of the purest forms of water because the distillation process removes nearly all contaminants. Unlike filtration, which depends on the material and pore size of a filter, distillation works by separating water from impurities based on boiling points. Since water has a lower boiling point than most contaminants, it evaporates first, leaving substances such as bacteria, heavy metals, and minerals behind.
Even certain chemicals that might evaporate at lower temperatures, like volatile organic compounds, can be removed through multi-stage distillation systems that capture and discard these compounds before condensing the purified steam. The result is water that is free from nearly all dissolved solids, chemicals, and biological contaminants.
What Types of Contaminants Can Be Removed by Filters Alone?
Filters are effective at removing a wide range of contaminants, but their effectiveness depends on the type of filter used. Activated carbon filters excel at removing chlorine, organic compounds, pesticides, and some heavy metals. They also improve the taste and odor of water by eliminating chemical residues.
Reverse osmosis systems go a step further, filtering out bacteria, viruses, dissolved salts, lead, arsenic, and fluoride. However, they require high water pressure and can waste water in the process. Ceramic filters are mainly used to remove sediments, bacteria, and cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium but do not remove dissolved chemicals or heavy metals.
UV purification is another filtration method that neutralizes bacteria and viruses but does not remove other contaminants. Water softeners, while technically a type of filtration, are designed to remove hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium but do not purify water in the same way as other filters.
Overall, filtration effectively improves water quality but does not always remove every contaminant, particularly volatile organic compounds, dissolved gases, and some microscopic pollutants that require more advanced purification methods.
What Types of Contaminants Can Be Removed by Distillation?
Distillation is one of the most thorough water purification methods available. It effectively removes nearly all contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi, by heating the water to a temperature that kills or separates them.
Inorganic minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, lead, and arsenic, are left behind during distillation because their boiling points are significantly higher than water’s. Heavy metals, nitrates, and radioactive particles are also removed, making distilled water one of the safest options for environments requiring high purity.
Additionally, distillation removes most organic compounds, including pesticides, herbicides, and pharmaceutical residues. While some volatile organic compounds have boiling points lower than water, Pure Water distillers have post filters to remove VOCs.
Unlike filtration, which depends on the size of filter pores and chemical absorption, distillation works by completely separating pure water from contaminants. The result is water that contains no dissolved solids, making it ideal for drinking, medical and industrial uses.
Why Choose Distillation?
Both filtered and distilled water serve as purification methods, but distillation removes more contaminants. It is a great choice for everyday drinking water, cooking, ice making, baking, watering plants, cleaning, small appliances, and more. Distillation removes nearly all contaminants, including bacteria, heavy metals, and chemicals, making it ideal for most applications. Ultimately, both filtration and distillation contribute to safer drinking water, but distillation provides the highest level of purification available.
