| Reverse
Osmosis |
Bottled
Water |
Exchange
Tank |
Water
Softener |
Whole House Filter/Scale Tech Combo |
| Cost
Per Gallon: $.18-$.25 |
Cost
Per Gallon: $.79-$5.00 |
Cost
Per Gallon: $.006-$.010 |
Cost
Per Gallon: $.12-$.23 |
Cost
Per Gallon: $.00020 |
| Expensive |
Expensive |
Expensive ($30 - $75
monthly) |
Expensive |
Inexpensive |
| Yearly filter
replacement and maintenance costs from $90 to $180. |
Generally good tasting
water. |
Not generally used for
drinking. |
Not generally used for
drinking. |
Provides clean, bottled quality
water from every faucet in a home. |
| Low Ph creates
aggressive water. |
Quality may be no
better than tap water. |
Leaves all of the
chemicals in the water. |
Leaves all of the
chemicals in the water. |
Excellent for drinking,
bathing, washing clothes, dishes, etc. |
| Limited amount of water
available. |
Plastic bottles should
not be re-used. |
Leaves a slimy feeling
on skin after bathing. |
Leaves a slimy feeling
on skin after bathing. |
Carbon bed life varies
from 10-25 years. |
| Get gallons per day not
gallons per minute. |
Bottles may leach PCB's
into the water. |
May require bi-weekly
replacement and/or multiple exchange tanks. |
Requires frequent
replacement of salt (sodium or potassium chloride) |
Removes chlorine,
ammonia, pesticides and sedimentation. |
| Wastes significant
amounts of water. |
Plastic bottles are very bad for the environment. |
Not for drinking,
requires use of reverse osmosis or bottled water. |
Not for drinking,
requires use of reverse osmosis or bottled water. |
Effectively removes
unpleasant odors and tastes from water. |
| Not good for plants,
pets or people. |
Plastic is made of
petroleum products. |
Must deal with delivery
drivers who may require access to garages. |
Good water for
dishwashing. |
System can be custom
designed for any application. |
|
Good water for
dishwashing. |
Not good for plants or
pets. |
Maintenance free for
years- set it and forget it. |
|
|
Not good for plants, pets
or people. |
Banned in many
communities because of the salt brine backwash. |
Doesn’t use salt,
potassium or chemicals. |

