Fresh reviews - BRITA water filter jug

Reading Living Green convinced me that I should drink filtered water. There are just too many nasties in tap water, like chlorine, lead, aluminium and copper. Some of these nasties are added in at water treatment plants, and some seep in from the actual water pipes.

I hadn't got around to doing anything about our filter situation since moving to Wellington. In Hamilton we had the use of our flatmate's filter, which was great. My thoughts had gone something like this... "We're renting, so installing a built-in filter is out of the question. Buying spring water from the shop could work, but that wastes a lot of plastic bottles. Hmmm." 

And that was as far as I got on the subject.

Then our lovely friends Kate and Ben bought us a BRITA water filter jug, which is the same filtering system they use.

Why filter water?
Chlorine tastes bad and is linked to some forms of cancer (especially bladder), and one study linked a bi-product of chlorine to an increased risk of miscarriage in pregnant women.

Lead is linked to developmental problems in children, in terms of intelligence, growth and behaviour.

Copper poisoning is associated with cirrhosis of the liver and, in extreme cases, death. Other less severe symptoms of over-consumption are diarrhoea, progressive loss of strength, and vomiting. Infants are most susceptible.

High levels of aluminium in drinking water can have a toxic effect on the human body.

How the BRITA water filter jug works
While holding the jug by its handle, you simply flick open a catch on the lid with your thumb to add water straight from the tap. The tap water trickles through the filter, which sits in the middle of the jug.

It takes about a minute to fill the bottom of the jug with filtered water, and then you can pour this out the spout just like you would with any jug.

The filter needs to be replaced every three months, but there's a little panel on the top of the jug that tells you when your three months is up.

In New Zealand the jug costs about $30 and the filter costs around $7.

What I like about the BRITA system

• It's affordable to buy and affordable to carry on using. It would be entirely affordable to have one for use at home, and one for use at the office.
• It's easy to use - just fill and pour.
• You can bring the water jug right to the table at meal times. 
• It filters out chlorine, lead, aluminium, copper, cryptosporidium and giardia.
• The panel reminding you when to replace your filter is so helpful. No need to worry about whether your filter is still working or not, because the jug tells you.
• The filtered water tastes crisper than tap water, and makes other drinks like tea taste nicer too.
• It keeps my kefir grains and sourdough starter happy - no more chlorine killing their will to live.
• I'm happy mixing up bottles for my babies with this water. (I also boil the filtered water for babies younger than 6 months, for added protection.)

What I don't like about the BRITA system

• It doesn't filter our fluoride. BRITA tags that as a good thing on their website, but I don't agree. Fluoride is one of the most toxic chemicals known and is linked to bone cancer and reduced fertility, among other things. Check out the Fluoride Action Network NZ website to find out more about why we should be avoiding fluoride.  
• The jug is plastic. In my perfect world it would be made out of glass.
• The lid sits on top rather than clicking on tightly, so if you don't hold it on while pouring out the dregs, the lid falls off.