We've had a filter on the kitchen sink since ... well, since I moved in about 15 years ago. We started with a PUR but when that one failed after "not long enough" I switched to a DuPont filter, which has the advantage of twice the capacity (so fewer spent filter cartridges live in a landfill forever). We don't have major water problems here in the city, but I prefer the taste of the filtered water and I find (through anecdotal experience) that water-heating appliances (coffeemaker, pots, etc.) seem to show less damage from the hard water we have here.
That hard water, btw, has a bonus effect: many of the pipes leading into the older houses here are made of lead. They are being replaced, slowly. But they've discovered that, over the years, the calcium in the water has lined the pipes fully, sealing away any contact with the lead. Lead levels in tests here do not show dangerous levels of the metal.
Boiling water takes care of bugs like e. coli. But boiling water does not remedy a sulfur smell or a very high iron content in the water. People filter water for different reasons; sometimes the initial expense of filtering water for an entire house is too high so bottled water is used instead.Originally Posted by catherine
I also will note that I often will choose bottled water when given a choice of drinks. At catered events, I don't want to drink pop or other sugary drinks, but there's almost always bottled water available. At some chain quick-service restaurants they'll give you a (tiny) cup to fill at the pop dispenser, but many "indies" either don't have that kind of dispenser or don't offer tap water. When I work volunteer events, they provide bottled water, not a water tap for my own container (which I then would have to keep track of). I don't use bottled water at home unless we've got some left over from some outside event. It would be nice if water taps were provided readily, but that's not the case in so many situations.