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Water-Filtration Tools

Do you have to be filthy rich to get clean water?

It certainly seems that way these days. Because of worries about the cleanliness of the water people get from their community systems -- and the continuing American obsession with hygiene -- the selling of clean water has become a very big and highly profitable business.

Consider one amazing statistic from the Beverage Marketing Corp., a New York beverage-research and consulting group, showing the doubling of per-capita consumption of bottled water in the U.S. to 22.6 gallons in 2003 from 10.5 gallons in 1993. Bottled water has jumped to the No. 2 spot, only bested by carbonated sodas. That is 6.8 billion gallons overall, accounting for $8.3 billion in wholesale sales. Typically, consumers pay a little more than $1 a gallon for bottled water and slightly more for home-delivery services.

To try to cut the costs of shelling out for all that bottled water and to ensure quality, many consumers are pouring money into a related $1.6 billion market and installing a variety of home-filtration systems, including filtered pitchers, screw-on faucet filter units and even more elaborate under-sink systems.

The prices of leading products, which filter out such substances as lead, chlorine and other contaminants, vary from about $20 for small pitchers to upward of $400 for under-sink systems. Since most products require the replacement of filters, total costs for this solution tend to average out to about 10 to 20 cents a gallon. All the good brands are certified by NSF International, an Ann Arbor, Mich., industry standards nonprofit group.

Amid a noisy waterfall of products and confusion on what the most cost-effective and healthiest option is, I was intrigued by two new offerings. A product from Clorox Co.'s Brita is aimed at the home-delivery market with a stand-alone unit that filters a jug of tap water placed on top. Another, by a small company called Clear Flow, tries to eliminate the need for any filter-fiddling by offering a disposable faucet-filter device. For those concerned about germs, another product is one you don't have to touch.

Clear Flow Faucet Filter Price: $30 to $35 depending on unit Comment: For those too lazy (or inept) to change a filter, after this product is done with, it's landfill.

Brita's new water coolers, which will be in stores in coming weeks, are likely to make the biggest splash, given the company's market power. Its three units will retail from $150 to $230, depending on how tricked out they are. All will require a periodic changing of their well-known filters that will process 80 gallons or four months of water. All are NSF certified.

I tested the most expensive option, a handsomely designed four-foot-tall unit that weighed 35 pounds and is aimed at unseating popular home-delivery services. Brita's setup is simple, with a three-gallon jug on top that you can refill with tap water. My unit, with hot and cold spouts, had a touch pad to change the temperature. It included a safety lever for hot water, which prevented my two-year-old from scalding himself.

My one problem with the Brita unit was that it took up precious space in my kitchen, although a lot less than a home-delivery service would, given that one usually has to store new and empty bottles.

iTouchless EZ Faucet Price: $70 Comment: The hygiene-obsessed can wash at home without touching the faucet.

Eliminating fuss is the main focus of Clear Flow's mounted water filter, which is available for both a kitchen and bathroom sink. Promising eight months to a year of use, it never requires the change of a cartridge. You throw away the metal device after the green light turns to red when the filter is spent. You also can use a side lever to turn on the filter. The units cost $30 to $35 and have several finishes.

Overall, I loved the Clear Flow filter, which is easy to install on most faucets -- although my European kitchen faucet wouldn't allow Clear Flow to sully its elegance. Still, it worked on several other faucets and on every bathroom faucet without a problem or any leakage. Both the kitchen and bathroom faucet filters operated without a hitch. Surprisingly, for disposable units, both were solid, well-made pieces. I preferred the bathroom filter, since it came with a nifty plastic water fountain that delighted my son and withstood constant yanking.

Brita Water Cooler Price: $150 to $230 depending on features. Comment: A nice alternative to home-delivery services, but -- like them -- takes up a lot of space.

I only had niggling issues. First, the water flow from the filter could be stronger and have more volume -- it takes forever to fill up a pot, and I often gave up and used the stronger flow from the unfiltered tap. And the unit -- like a lot of similar offerings -- is too big. Because of its size, it often got dirty and was hard to clean.

Finally, I looked at another water product that taps into the obsession Americans have with hygiene: iTouchless's EZ Faucet. This is a home version of the commercial faucets now ubiquitous in public restrooms that turn on and off using infrared sensors. Basically, after an easy installation onto most standard faucets, you turn on your tap, switch on the device and use the faucet without ever touching it. The water turns on when you dangle your digits in front of the unit.

There are a lot of pluses to this $70 system, including not having germs all over the faucet, the minimizing of water wasting (I'm notorious in my home for leaving on the tap while I cook) and a bit of a cool factor for kids. Unlike the typically glitch-prone commercial faucets, I found this one worked almost every time -- it did have issues in dark rooms -- and you can easily override the automatic setting to use the faucet for an extended time. I had only a few problems with it -- including its ungainly size and the need to keep from splashing the battery-operated device.

Otherwise, it is a nice option to consider, though a bit expensive. Then again, these days when it comes to getting clean water, many people are probably going to have to go with the high-priced flow.

Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.