My family have been bottled water junkies for years. I’ve tried the Britta and similar filters and they all sucked because I/we could taste the charcoal. So we stayed with bottled water for a while and I would save all my bottles and would collect my California 5 cent tax on my bottles every few months.

For 2016 we are trying to increase our water intake to even higher than it is now. But I was tired of wasting all those bottles and taking the time to lug 8 trash bags full of bottles to get $25 bucks.

After that decision is was off to find a new water filter and I saw the Zero Water on TV. Off I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and picked one up for $40 bucks. Yes, I could have ordered on Amazon. But I was impatient and wanted it “now”. Plus if I didn’t like it they take it back with no questions asked.

I got home and unboxed this new toy and the first thing I did was measure my tap water with the included TDS meter. TDS = Total Dissolved Solids.

I got an average ready of 550. That is 550 parts per million in my tap water. Our city is also known for it’s hard-water. Our water is mixed with ground and Colorado river water. Water with 13 grains or more is considered “hard.” Water imported from the Colorado River and Northern California averages 12 grains of hardness while our well water averages 19 grains of hardness and our side of town receives more ground water than river water. Yes, I think our tap water tastes nasty and it’s a bitch to clean dishes.

I filled the Zero Water pitcher, waited for the magic and poured myself a glass. I measured the water and it was 000 TDS. I took a sip and it was FANTASTIC.

Before and After TDS with meter. Yes, that is a Red Solo cup Shot Glass 😀