Water Filtration (preferably Phoenix area)

[lcmac32]

I moved to the valley of the sun and just never have gotten used to the water.  I have used Sparklett's and it is a total scam, but the water tastes 5x better than tap.  I want a solution that I can easily work with.  Anyone using a faucet filter and getting good results or some other system?  (Disclaimer...I am originally from Arkansas and the state has great water in multiple cities from a taste perspective.  So, I am spoiled in that regard)

[robartsd]

I've used a simple activated charcoal filter just about everywhere I've lived (usually a Brita brand pitcher). The only place where this type of system was inadequate was Petersburg, WV.

[FireHiker]

We LOVE our reverse osmosis system that we have put in at our last two houses now. We have this one: https://www.premierh2o.com/collections/reverse-osmosis/products/watts-premier-531417-ro-pure-plus-reverse-osmosis-system and it's fantastic. Our water in So Cal is disgusting; a Brita-type filter isn't adequate for my taste. We used to get our replacement filters online at Costco but they stopped carrying them so now we buy them via Amazon (or could go direct at the manufacturer if you're anti-Amazon). I am seriously spoiled now and I bring my own water from home in a reusable container everywhere now!

[desertadapted]

There is no getting used to the water in Phoenix.  But we use a Pur filter (~$24.00) that we keep in the fridge.  It does a great job of taking the edge off the flavor at a fraction of the price of the other options.   I'd suggest that you give that one a try for several months before you spend big.

[nereo]

After using Brita style filters (slow, expensive filters, bulky) we went with an under-sink 10" filter setup.  Similar to what FireHiker proposed with a RO system, but without the expensive RO membrane and about 1/2 the price when you consider the cost of replacing the RO membrane every couple years.  The RO systems have the same multi-stage 10" filters plus an additional RO membrane which absolutely everything out, but is very slow (on the order of a gallon or so per hour).  To accomodate, most RO systems have a 3 or 5 gallon tank that fills slowly and you draw from.

You can buy single/double/triple setups but if you're on city water anything over 2 is probably overkill (you won't have much sedimentation). FWIW we went with an iSpring 2 stage and we have a 5 micron Carbon BLock filter and a 5 micron graduated sediment filter.

Filters are about $5-8 each and last anywhere from 1,500 to 5,000 gallons (for comparison, a Brita filter lasts about 40 gallons and costs about the same amount). We change filters about 2x/year at a cost of $12.  Since its hooked up directly onto my cold-water tap I have water that's filtered to a much higher degree than a Brita on-demand and at roughly 3 gallons/minute flow rate.

If you want to filter your entire house you can get whole-house setups (typically either a set of 10" x 4.5" or 20" x 2.5").  These setups cost a bit more (in the $200-400 range) but can filter 100,000 gallons or more (typically about a year's worth for a family of 4, assuming you don't water your lawn or fill your pool), with each filter costing about $12 or so.  The downside is that your water pressure will drop slightly, which may or may not be a concern.

Both under-sink and whole-house setups are pretty easy to install yourself, or any competent plumber can install one in about 30 minutes.

Here's one brand of under-sink filter.  If you want 2 or 3 filters just buy multiple and hook them up in parallel.
https://www.amazon.com/Culligan-US-600A-Undersink-Drinking-Filtration/dp/B0002YXMG8/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1535499897&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=under+sink+filter&psc=1

[shadowmoss]

I live in the Phoenix area and I use the $.25/gal machines to refill plastic gallon jugs.  I can't lift the 4 or 5 gal jugs, or I'd use those.  Using the water just for drinking/cooking it doesn't take much.  The Phoenix water is fine for showering and other things.  My Uncle bought me a jug Brita type filter and I figured out that it was cheaper to buy the $.25 water than to keep replacing the jug filters.  The water machines are on most corners at gas stations as well as dedicated water kiosks.  Some have gone up to $.30/gal, but there is one I use in Apache Junction that is $.15/gal.

[monte0930]

I live in south Arizona, extremely hard water sourced from the Colorado river. I installed a whole house Kinetico water softener (purchased used from a neighbor who was moving) and an RO unit for fridge and kitchen water spout. The RO unit is an Express Water 5 stage filtered system from Amazon ~$136. My drinking water is much better now, and my shower stays clean, due to no more mineral deposits. I feel it was well worth the investment.

[robartsd]

I get my Brita refills at Costco when they are on sale (currently on sale $32 for 10 - normally $40 - there's also a 3rd party 10 pack on Amazon currently for $31). I think we process a bit more than the rated 40 gallons, but even if we only got 40 gallons each, that's still less than $0.09 per gallon. I could see filter replacements being needed more frequently if the source water is poorer quality, but I can't see Brita style pitchers ever getting to $0.25/gallon unless you're buying the filters in small quantities and paying full retail price (26.32 gallons/filter buying Brita brand from Amazon 1 at a time). Less than $20/yr for filters if we buy them on sale (each filter lasts about 2 months). @nereo has a more convenient system with similar annual costs (though a single stage system would be more comparable in quality).

One thing to note about RO systems they all require discharge water to flush the membrane. On systems powered by municipal water pressure, it's not uncommon for the discharge water to be 4 times the volume of the purified water. RO systems with their own pumps often can reduce the discharge rate to 1:1. The discharge water is usable, some systems mix it back into the house water supply - if nothing else, you could pipe it into a reservoir for landscape watering - but many systems let the discharge water go down the drain.

[Altons Bobs]

Our water here tastes bad in the summer especially when there's a lot of algae in the lakes. It's fine other times of the year. We installed an RO system when we were building this house. This is the one we use (we have an older version of the same thing): https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/ro-90-detail.htm

[lcmac32]

Thanks for all the input.   I knew this group would have the solutions I needed.