If you think that all water that passes through a filtration process is simply purified water then you need a little more information to choose the right type of drinking water for your needs. You should know the different between purified water and portable drinking water so as to make an educated decision.
Purified water is basically water that passes through various purification or filtration processes that remove most heavy metals such as copper, lead, iron, etc, harmful chemicals such as excess chlorine and dangerous bacteria and cysts that could cause serious damage to your internal organs. The process used to purify the water can include several methods such as reverse osmosis or reo, application of ultraviolet rays, activated carbon filters, etc.
The water could be from different sources such as a local municipal tap, a spring, or a well, among others. Purified water could also be subject to distillation, which although is one of the best methods to ensure safe water, could strip the water of vital vitamins and minerals that could be required by the human body. Thus, many experts believe that the distillation process should not be used for drinking water purposes, although it would be more suitable for purifying water used in steam irons, car radiators, etc.
Purified water is usually filtered in large filtration plants but you can also use large dispensers that could be fitted in your home itself. All you need is a municipal tap connection that could provide water to be filtered. You can now get pure drinking water from the other end as your water passes through various processes that eliminate all harmful chemicals and organisms.
You can also carry this water while traveling but there are chances of re-contamination if you leave the bottle open for a longer time. You can also get packaged bottled purified water under various brand names such as refreshe from Safeway, located in the US and you can just drink the water from such bottles whenever you feel thirsty. Another method to get pure drinking water would be to use a portable drinking water system that would provide instant drinking water upon demand.
A portable water purification system, as the name suggests is a small filter that can provide you with clear and pure drinking water when you actually need it. This is also known as the Point-of-Use or POU filtration system and you can purchase small pitchers or dispensers or even sports bottles that have such filters fitted inside them. These filters will not have sophisticated filtration methods such as ultraviolet rays but can still provide safe and pure water that could help you when you are traveling or hiking away in places that do not have a dependable source of drinking water. You can simply scoop up water from a stream, lake or pond and filter it using these tiny-but-effective filters and get totally pure drinking water in return.
Since you now know the different between purified water and portable drinking water, you can choose the right type of drinking water suitable for your needs. Make sure to choose a filter or bottled water made by a reputed manufacturer so that you get access to totally purified water at all times.