Drinking Water Treatment Cost Comparisons

Compare the costs of using different drinking water treatment methods:
Bottled Water, Activated Carbon (solid block and granular), Reverse Osmosis, Distillation

Estimated use of gallons of purified water per week and year(s) of comparisons to display

Calculate the long-term costs of a filtration system you are considering:

Description: (100 characters max)

Maintenance: (100 characters max)

Initial Cost: $     Replacement filter cartridge cost: $     Filter cartridge life: gallons     $0.19 per gallon

Comparison of Long-Term POU Drinking Water Treatment Costs: Fifteen Years
(based on 10 gallons used per week || 1.4 gallons per day || 520 gallons per year)

$13,000 -

$11,700 -

$10,400 -

$9,100 -

$7,800 -

$6,500 -

$5,200 -

$3,900 -

$2,600 -

$1,300 -

   One Year

   5 Years

   10 years

   15 years

Bottled water, Self-fill
$0.25 per gallon
Bottled water, Delivered
$1.00 per gallon
Bottled water, Delivered
$1.50 per gallon
High-end solid block activated carbon filter
$0.07 per gallon
Reverse Osmosis
$0.13 per gallon
Distillation
$0.35 per gallon: depends on the cost of electricity
Pour-through GAC pitcher filter
$0.25 per gallon
Faucet mount solid block activated carbon filter
$0.19 per gallon

10 Gallons of treated water used per week
Total cost and cumulative gallons of treated water.
Includes the purchase price, if any.

Water Treatment Method
Required Maintenance
1 year
520 gal 5 years
2,600 gal 10 years
5,200 gal 15 years
7,800 gal 20 years
10,400 gal 40 years
20,800 gal

Bottled water, Self-fill
$0.25 per gallon You fill, haul and store the bottles yourself. If you have a dispenser, it needs to be cleaned periodically. $130 $650 $1,300 $1,950 $2,600 $5,200

Bottled water, Delivered
$1.00 per gallon Dispensers need to be cleaned periodically. If you rent a dispenser that would add perhaps $50 per year to the cost. $520 $2,600 $5,200 $7,800 $10,400 $20,800

Bottled water, Delivered
$1.50 per gallon Dispensers need to be cleaned periodically. If you rent a dispenser that would add perhaps $50 per year to the cost. $780 $3,900 $7,800 $11,700 $15,600 $31,200

High-end solid block activated carbon filter
Initial cost=$430
Replacement cartridge:
$70=cost; 1000 gallons=Filter life
$0.07 per gallon Replace a filter cartridge periodically (according to your water quality and manufacturer's instructions). $466 $612 $794 $976 $1,158 $1,886

Reverse Osmosis*
Initial cost=$300
Replacement filter cartridges:
$65=cost; replaced every year
Replacement membrane cartridge:
$35=cost; replaced every 2 years
$0.13 per gallon Replace pre and post filter cartridges and the RO membranes periodically (according to your water quality and manufacturer's schedule). Clean the storage tank as directed. $368 $638 $975 $1,313 $1,650 $3,000

Distillation
Initial cost=$340
$0.35 per gallon: depends on the cost of electricity Clean the boiler and maintain the VOC reduction system as directed. Probably replace the system every 20 years. $522 $1,250 $2,160 $3,070 $3,980 $7,620

Pour-through GAC pitcher filter
Initial cost=$25
Replacement cartridge:
$8=cost; 40 gallons=Filter life
$0.25 per gallon Replace the filter cartridge every 40 gallons (or as directed). Probably replace the plastic pitcher every 5 years or so. $155 $675 $1,325 $1,975 $2,625 $5,225

Faucet mount solid block activated carbon filter
Initial cost=$30
Replacement cartridge:
$19=cost; 100 gallons=Filter life
$0.19 per gallon Replace the filter cartridge every 100 gallons (or as directed). Probably replace the filter housing every 5 years or so as parts wear out. $129 $524 $1,018 $1,512 $2,006 $3,982

Notes: These calculated costs are approximations only and intended to provide a starting point for your own research. Display values are rounded.
Representative Manufacturer retail prices were listed for pitcher and faucet filtration systems.
Prices vary widely on every component of every type of system, and different companies sell the same systems for different prices.
You can collect your own cost and performance information, enter the values into this program and make your own comparisons.
The main take-away point is obvious though - Delivered bottled water is extremely expensive relative to all other common POU treatment methods.
A secondary conclusion that is not always obvious is that cheap pitcher and faucet filters are usually less economical, long term, than higher quality filters.

* RO membrane and filter cartridge replacement seem to be driven more by yearly replacement recommendations rather than gallons treated.
  Consequently, in these graphs and tables, low water use will increase the per-gallon cost of treated water if maintenance schedules are followed.