Pure water system: which one do you choose?

Reading time: ~9 minutes

What is a pure water device?

A pure water device is any unit that post-purifies water before you drink it. In the Netherlands, the term is used for two very different things. On one hand, there are emergency and outdoor filters that turn ditch or rainwater into safe drinking water. On the other hand, and this is what most people are looking for, there are devices that make already safe tap water one step purer: less PFAS, less limescale, less chlorine taste.

The difference lies in the technology. A carbon filter removes taste and chlorine, a ceramic or hollow-fiber filter stops bacteria, and reverse osmosis (RO) goes the furthest: it presses water under pressure through a membrane with pores of approximately 0.0001 microns. As a result, up to 99% of dissolved substances are left behind, including PFAS, microplastics, heavy metals, and limescale. If you want to understand that technology first, read how reverse osmosis works.

What types of pure water devices are there?

In the Dutch market, you will encounter seven types. They differ significantly in what they remove, price, and installation.

1. Filter pitcher with carbon filter

The most well-known and cheapest variant. A pitcher with an activated carbon filter primarily improves taste and removes chlorine. Popular models cost around 140 euros for a pitcher with a longer filter life. What a pitcher does not do: reliably remove PFAS, pharmaceutical residues, and heavy metals. If you replace the filter too late, the water quality can actually deteriorate.

2. Filter faucet or inline carbon filter

Here, the filter sits under the kitchen counter, and you tap filtered water from a separate or combined faucet. Pleasant, as there is no device on the counter and no pitchers to refill. The purification remains dependent on the filter type. In our explanation on filtering tap water with a filter faucet, you can read exactly what such a setup does and does not address.

3. Countertop osmosis device

A complete osmosis system in a housing that stands on the countertop. You fill a reservoir or connect it to the tap, plug it into the socket, and you are done. No drilling, no installer, so also suitable for renters. In Dutch search results, individual tabletop models from other brands cost around 449 euros. The Countertop RO from PureAqua works on the same principle: full-fledged reverse osmosis, without installation.

4. Undersink osmosis system with pure water faucet

The invisible variant: the system is tucked away in the kitchen cabinet, and pure water comes from a design faucet. At PureAqua, that is The Source in combination with a pure water faucet of your choice. The system is not sold separately but comes standard with the faucet or the subscription. This is the choice for those who want a sleek kitchen and want to keep the countertop clear.

5. Emergency and outdoor filter

Filter straws, pump filters, and gravity filters for camping, travel, or an emergency kit. They stop bacteria and parasites and often cost between 30 and 220 euros. They are intended for ditch or rainwater, not for daily use from the tap: they largely let chemical substances like PFAS pass through.

6. Water softener

Not a purification device for drinking water, but a solution against limescale throughout the entire house. Prices with us range from 1,699 euros for the Joep to 2,348 euros for the AquaCell. A softener does not remove PFAS or microplastics from your water, so osmosis remains necessary for drinking water. If you want to know how the two relate to each other, compare water filter versus water purifier versus reverse osmosis side by side.

7. Water ionizer

Devices that increase or decrease the pH of water, found in stores for between approximately 90 and 680 euros. They barely purify anything, and the health claims surrounding them are not scientifically substantiated. We do not sell them and do not recommend them if you are looking for pure water.

What should you look for when choosing?

At PureAqua, we see that customers mainly pay attention to six points. Go through them one by one, and the choice will become clear by itself.

• Purification level: what does the device really remove? Only reverse osmosis reaches approximately 99% of dissolved substances, including PFAS and microplastics.
• Installation: is drilling allowed? If you rent, a countertop device without installation is the safe choice. More on that in our article on osmosis water without fixed connection.
• Space: an undersink system requires space in the cabinet, a tabletop model requires space on the counter. Measure it before you choose.
• Maintenance: every filter must be replaced periodically. Count on pre-filters plus a membrane for osmosis. A filter set costs 75 euros for two pieces or 149 euros for three with us.
• Taste and minerals: osmosis water contains virtually no minerals anymore. A mineral filter for 45 euros adds calcium and magnesium back for a fuller taste.
• Cost per liter: do not just calculate the purchase price, but also the filters. Compared to bottled water at around 0.50 euros per liter, filtered tap water is almost always cheaper.

Do you want to check your choice with a measurement? A TDS meter for 5.95 euros immediately shows how many dissolved substances are in your water before and after filtering.

Pure water devices compared

Do you need a pure water device in the Netherlands?

Honest answer: it is not necessary. Dutch tap water is excellent. According to Vewin, approximately 99.9% of the 565,689 measurements met legal standards in 2023, and the water is checked on more than 60 parameters. Milieu Centraal therefore states that a water filter is not necessary for most households and warns that quality can even deteriorate if you replace a filter too late.

At the same time, there are reasons why people still choose extra purification. According to the RIVM, a legal limit of 100 nanograms per liter applies for 20 different PFAS, which Dutch drinking water meets. However, the RIVM recommends a stricter guideline value of 4.4 nanograms per liter because people are already ingesting more PFAS through food and drinking water combined than the health-based limit value. Additionally, lead pipes in older homes can release traces of lead, and limescale and taste play a role locally.

A pure water device is therefore not a must, but a choice for extra security, better taste, and fewer plastic bottles. At PureAqua, we prefer to state that honestly rather than with scaremongering.

Buying advice: which device suits you?

If you are only looking for a fresher taste and have a small budget, a filter pitcher or a simple filter faucet will suffice. If you want the most thorough purification, you end up with reverse osmosis. The only question then is: on the counter or underneath it. If you want boiling water in the same spout, a 4-in-1 faucet with reverse osmosis is worth considering.

Do you rent, are you moving in a few years, or do you not want to drill? Then choose the Countertop RO, the standalone pure water device that works without installation. Are you staying put and do you want a sleek kitchen without a device in sight, then a pure water faucet with The Source is the more beautiful solution. If you want boiling, hot, cold, and purified water from one faucet, look at the PureAqua 4-in-1 faucet.

If you want to see all criteria side by side before you decide, our guide on the best reverse osmosis system will help. And if you first want to know what to look out for on the other side of the scale, read the disadvantages of reverse osmosis. With 100 days of trial, you can experience in either case whether it suits you.

Frequently asked questions