Purified vs Distilled vs Regular Water: What's the Difference?

Most people don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the water they drink. They may have heard that the water treatment plant adds chemicals that could be dangerous to their health. This is probably enough for them to invest in home water purifiers, which is actually a good option.

But, before you fit a filter or anything else you should understand the differences between purified, distilled, and regular water. It will help you to choose the right product for your needs.

Regular Water

Regular water is effectively the water that comes out of your tap. It’s been treated by the local treatment works and should meet specific government standards. In short, it should be safe to drink.

However, the treatment plant adds chlorine to the water to kill bacteria. This can cause reactions in people with allergens, as chlorine is known to cause respiratory issues. It’s a key ingredient in nerve gas.

They also add fluoride, which recent research suggests may increase the risk of cancer.

Additionally, regular water can become contaminated after it has left the treatment plant. An issue is not likely to be noticed until hundreds or thousands of people have drunk the water.

Purified Water

Purified water is any water that has been filtered. In a sense, tap water is purified as it has been filtered by the treatment plant.

However, as it is difficult to verify the quality of the water every time you use it, purified water tends to be used to describe water put through a filtration system at home.

There are several filtration systems you can choose from. The most popular are aerated carbon and reverse osmosis. Commercial reverse osmosis systems, in particular, are often used in large-scale applications. They offer highly efficient filtration that removes contaminants from water, making it safe for consumption. They remove slightly different things from the water, which is why it’s usually beneficial to have your water tested first and decide which type of filter will be most beneficial.

Using the right filter is essential to get safe drinking water. The good news is that these filters are straightforward to maintain and work in the background.

Distilled Water

Distilled water is the purest form and is very safe to drink. However, purified water is more convenient and safe to consume daily.

To get distilled water, you need to boil it, effectively turning it from a liquid into a gas. The gas, referred to as steam, hits a cool surface as it rises from your boiling pot. This cools the steam and turns it back into water, which you can collect in another container. 

The water you collect is pure because water boils at a lower temperature to the minerals and other contaminants in it. In other words, it leaves all the pollutants behind and you collect pure water.

This is safe to drink but you should consider the fact that some minerals are beneficial to the human body. It makes distillation a useful emergency procedure and purified water the practical daily option.