Purified Water vs Distilled Water

Staying hydrated is a vital aspect of life, and fostering a culture of hydration in the office not only contributes to long-term wellness but also enhances overall productivity. However, given the myriad choices of water types — such as purified, spring, sparkling, distilled, and mineral water — it can indeed be a daunting task to decide which one is the most suitable for the workplace.

With a focus on aiding companies in selecting a high-quality water source that can bolster health and efficiency, we delve into the distinctions between purified and distilled water. This will enable you to identify the most appropriate solution for your office environment.

Clarifying the Distinction Between Purified and Distilled Water

Purified Water

Purified water, typically sourced from groundwater or tap water, is subjected to a filtration procedure to eradicate a myriad of impurities and contaminants. The most commonly eliminated impurities include:

• A wide array of detrimental chemicals
• Algae
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Fungi
• Traces of specific metals such as copper and lead

Various purification systems are employed commercially and domestically to cleanse water. However, before diving into these methods, let’s understand why tap water often necessitates an additional purification step.

Public drinking water undergoes a standard filtration process, incorporating the subsequent treatment methods:

• Coagulation: Water supply is mixed with positively charged chemicals to counteract the negative charge of dirt and other dissolved particles.
• Flocculation: The water source is stirred to create larger, heavier particles known as flocs.
• Sedimentation: Flocs settle to the bottom, segregating solids from the water.
• Filtration: The clean water separated by sedimentation is again filtered to separate the remaining solids.
• Disinfection: One or more chemical disinfectants like chlorine or chlorine dioxide are added to the filtered water to eradicate any lingering contaminants or bacteria.

Despite the water quality standards for public drinking water being set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s critical to note that the water quality varies across different regions, which affects the filtration process and the consequent purity. This indicates that tap water, although supervised and filtered, might not be as clean as it potentially could be. This necessitates the employment of additional purification techniques.

Purification Techniques

Some of the most prevalent methods for effectively eliminating impurities and contaminants from drinking water encompass:

• Deionization: This method of purification eliminates two categories of ions to produce deionized water: “cations” carrying a positive charge and “anions” with a negative charge. The cations encompass minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and sodium, whereas the anions are made up of elements such as chloride, sulfates, nitrates, carbonates, and silica.
• Boiling water: As recommended by the CDC, simply boiling water can exterminate disease-causing microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. This is deemed a viable purification method when safe, treated water is not readily available.
• Reverse osmosis (RO): This method uses pressure to force water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane to eliminate harmful contaminants and other impurities, resulting in clean, pure water.

While the methodologies of water purification may vary, their ultimate objective remains the same – to yield pure water. According to Sensorex, water is termed “purified” when it has less than 10 ppm (99% of all contaminants have been removed).

Distilled Water

Distilled water, conversely, is a form of purified water that undergoes the distillation process to eliminate impurities and other contaminants present in the water. Distillation primarily involves boiling the water and collecting the evaporated steam, which eventually condenses back into a liquid state.

Purdue University validates that this purification system is highly effective at eradicating impurities like:

• An extensive array of viruses and bacteria.
• Protozoa such as giardia.
• Hazardous chemicals like sulfate and lead.

Distilled water is frequently utilized in laboratories and facilities due to its unmatched purity. While drinking distilled water is not as widespread, it’s unquestionably safe due to the absence of impurities. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that this rigorous purification process also removes essential minerals, resulting in water that is devoid of chemicals, impurities, and beneficial minerals, leading to a tasteless end product.

Pros and Cons of Each Type of Water Supply

Weighing the Benefits and Downsides of Purified Water

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes statutory limits for over 90 detrimental contaminants in tap water to render it safe for consumption. However, an efficient purification system can augment this filtration process, resulting in an even cleaner outcome. Numerous purification techniques bring forth several notable advantages:

• Purification effectively eradicates bacteria that could cause health complications, such as stomach aches and nausea.
• Charcoal filter purification systems eliminate chlorine, a chemical frequently added to the public water supply for disinfection, which is associated with an elevated risk of specific cancers.
• Filtration mitigates disagreeable tastes stemming from organic matter, chemical treatments, or metal plumbing.
• Drinking purified water enhances the health of the colon and the digestive tract.
• Most purification systems augment the cleanliness of tap water, particularly in regions with subpar water quality.

While purified water has evident benefits, it’s equally crucial to consider potential drawbacks of consuming this type of water:

• Certain purification processes may not be as efficient at eradicating contaminants compared to distillation, implying that impurities, including chemicals and pesticides, may persist.
• Opting for bottled water as a source of pure water is expensive and not environmentally friendly.
• Specific purification systems eliminate the fluoride in tap water, a component recognized to diminish tooth decay and promote overall dental health.
• Some filtration and purification systems necessitate routine maintenance and servicing to sustain the effectiveness of the water filter over time.

Balancing the Pros and Cons of Distilled Water

Although distilled water and purified water share a common objective of producing clean water, distilled water comes with its unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Here are some notable benefits:

• Distillation is an exceptionally potent technique for removing contaminants from water.
• Due to the lack of contaminants like bacteria and pesticides, distilled water provides benefits for individuals with weakened immune systems, including those dealing with conditions like HIV/AIDS or cancer.
• Consumption of distilled water can enhance the health of individuals residing in areas with substandard water and filtration systems.
• Distillation effectively eradicates chlorine from the water, improving its taste.

Despite its superior cleanliness, distilled water also comes with its share of downsides:

• Much like most purified water, the distillation process also eliminates fluoride, implying that individuals consuming distilled water must be extra cautious about their dental health.
• While being devoid of contaminants, this type of water also lacks electrolytes and naturally occurring, beneficial minerals — such as magnesium and calcium — which are essential for overall health.

Selecting the Ideal Option

Given all these considerations, which option should you choose for drinking? Honestly, there’s no universal answer. Provided that you’re consuming water that’s appropriately filtered and treated — ensuring it’s safe for consumption — the choice of water type essentially hinges on personal preference.

Both distilled and purified water offer a cleaner alternative to tap water and contribute to overall health. The primary distinction between these types of water is that distilled water invariably eliminates minerals and electrolytes, whereas not all purification processes yield the same outcome: Specifically, reverse osmosis filtration also extracts any existing minerals, whereas boiling and deionization do not.

Luckily, workplaces can contemplate a water filtration system that delivers the best of both options. We’ll explore in detail how Quench is assisting businesses to achieve this shortly.

Supply Purified Water with a Bottle-Free Water Cooler at Your Workspace

For businesses and workplaces seeking water that’s as pure as distilled water yet retains the crucial minerals required to promote their team’s long-term health, Quench is the solution. Quench presents water-as-a-service offerings, supplying filtered water via an extensive range of bottle-free devices to aid organizations in ensuring their staff, clients, and visitors stay satisfied, healthy, and well-hydrated.

A number of our most popular bottleless dispensers deliver quenchWATER+, our Quench-branded mineral-enriched and electrolyte-boosted alkaline water. This cutting-edge technology enhances on-demand water service via a five-stage filtration process:

1. Sediment filter
2. Pre-carbon filter
3. RO filtration
4. Mineral + filter
5. Polishing filter

This procedure is meticulously designed to eliminate sediments, contaminants, and unpleasant tastes while reintroducing minerals and electrolytes — guaranteeing the purest outcome that includes the beneficial minerals your workforce needs. Furthermore, this cooler connects directly to your building’s existing water line, ensuring your teams and customers can access an unlimited supply of fresh, filtered water whenever required.

By choosing a bottle-free water cooler from Quench, you can supply clean, delicious water that contributes to the health of your esteemed team members, regardless of your locality’s water quality. Use our product finder to locate the machine best suited to your business needs, or request a free quote to begin.