Countertop Water Filtration Systems

You need to look at countertop water filtration systems to help keep you and your family alive until the worst is over if you're planning on seeing out the disaster at home. In many survival situations, clean drinking water will be one of the first things to go, whether it's due to a break down in municipal facilities, disease in the water supply or nuclear radiation. A countertop system will still be a good idea even if you have your own well as you won't be able to control the quality of the water that reaches the well.

Key Features

When you start your research, you'll find that there are many countertop water filtration systems  to choose from. Look out for these key features to help get you started:

• Filter size - each of the countertop water filtration systems will come with a slightly different sized filter and as a general rule, you'll typically pay more for smaller filters. You need to make sure that the filters are made from carbon as this will help improve the taste of the water, and a good starting point is a one-micron filter. This will get rid of most bacteria, pollutants and chemicals such as chlorine. If you want to prepare against a nuclear strike, you'll need a much finer filter.

• Faucet connection - most systems are designed to fit the majority of faucets in US households so you should make sure that you have a standard size faucet connection before buying. There are some specialist companies that make countertop systems for irregular faucet connections, but you'll need to weigh the additional cost of the specialist system against the cost of replacing your faucets with a standard connection. 
• Cost of replacement cartridges - typically, a countertop filtration system will come with a filter designed to last for up to a year of normal usage. However, in a survival scenario, you will be using the filter for cooking and cleaning, as well as drinking, so you will use the filter up faster. Look at how much the replacement cartridges cost and factor that into your budget as you'll want to have a large supply for the worst-case scenario.

Best Buys

With all of the different countertop water filtration systems available, it can be hard to know where to start. These brands all offer high quality filtration with slightly different benefits:

• Water Chef - Water Chef products are at the top end of the market and are traditionally designed to become part of the aesthetics of your kitchen. However, they come with solid carbon block filters and a unique sensor which tells you when to replace the filter. Expect to pay around $250 for the basic model.

• Pure and Clear - Pure and Clear are at the cheaper end of the spectrum and pride themselves on having the cheapest selection of replacement filters on the market. Their filters are designed to last for 1,000 gallons which will last you for a little more than six months, so you will need to factor the size of your household into the equation. A basic unit costs $130.
• ESP - the difference that ESP offers is the option of UV water filtration. This is a good option if you're looking for a sustainable long term solution as the battery pack is guaranteed for 5 years. The base cost of $225 is more than most filtering systems on the market, but there is no additional cost to worry about.

Make sure to talk to someone with expertise in countertop water filtration systems before parting with your money online so that you make sure that you get the right system for your needs.

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