Drinking water is essential for life, and encouraging employees to stay hydrated in the workplace is key to supporting both their long-term health and organizational productivity. But, with so many types of water available — from purified water, spring water, and sparkling water to distilled water and mineral water — it can be challenging to determine which option is best to provide at work.
For teams in pursuit of a clean water supply that can promote health and performance, we’re taking a closer look at the difference between purified water and distilled water — so you can find the option that’s best suited for your workplace.
Purified water, typically made with groundwater or tap water, goes through a filtration process to remove various impurities and contaminants. Some of the most common impurities that are filtered out include:
When it comes to the purification system used to clean water, there’s a wide range of techniques used today, both commercially and in homes. But first, let’s take a look at why tap water often needs a purification boost.
Public drinking water goes through standard water filtration, comprised of the following treatment methods:
However, while the standards for public drinking water are set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it’s important to note that water quality differs everywhere, which impacts the filtration process and the resulting cleanliness. This means tap water, although monitored and filtered, is not generally as clean as it could be. That’s where additional techniques for purification come into play.
Some of the most common methods to effectively remove impurities and contaminants from drinking water include:
Methods of water purification can vary, but at the end of the day, they’re aiming to produce the same results — pure water. And, according to Sensorex, for water to be considered “purified,” it must have lower than 10 ppm (99% of all contaminants should be removed).
Distilled water, on the other hand, is a type of purified water that goes through the distillation process to remove impurities and other water contaminants. Distillation essentially works by boiling water and collecting the steam, which eventually returns to a liquid state once cooled.
Purdue University reports that this water purification system is highly effective at removing impurities like:
Distilled water is often used in laboratories and facilities due to the resulting water purity. It’s not as common to drink water that’s been distilled, but because it’s free of impurities it’s unquestionably safe to do so. However, it’s important to note that this powerful purification process inevitably removes essential minerals. That means no chemicals or impurities, but no taste or good stuff either.
The EPA sets legal limits for over 90 harmful contaminants in tap water to ensure it’s considered safe for consumers to drink. However, an effective purification system can take this filtration process to the next level for an even cleaner result. Various purification methods ultimately promote several valuable benefits:
Although purified water has clear advantages, it’s equally essential to consider what you need to be cautious of when drinking this type of water:
Despite the fact that distilled water and purified water are closely related, aiming to produce clean water results, water that’s been distilled has unique advantages and disadvantages to take into account. Consider the following benefits:
However, this impressively clean water isn’t without its downsides:
So, with everything in mind, what’s the best option to drink? Well, the truth is there’s no one right answer. As long as you’re drinking water that’s being filtered and treated properly — so you can rest assured it’s safe to drink — then the type of water you choose is entirely dependent on personal preference.
Both distilled water and purified water are cleaner than tap water and support your overall health. The main difference between these water types is that distilled water will always remove the minerals and electrolytes and not all purification processes will have the same result: In particular, reverse osmosis filtration will also remove any minerals present, whereas boiling and deionization will not.
Fortunately, workplaces can consider a water filtration system that gives them the best of both worlds. We’ll take a closer look at how Quench is helping organizations do this below.
When businesses and workplaces are in search of water that’s just as clean as distilled water but has the essential minerals needed to support the long-term health of their workforces, Quench can help. Quench offers water-as-a-service solutions by providing filtered water through a broad array of bottleless machines to help organizations keep their employees, customers, and guests happy, healthy, and hydrated.
Some of our most popular bottleless dispensers provide quenchWATER+, our Quench-branded mineral-infused and electrolyte-enhanced alkaline water. This cutting-edge technology takes on-demand water to the next level through a 5-filter setup:
This process is designed to remove sediments, contaminants, and bad tastes while adding minerals and electrolytes back — ensuring the cleanest result that includes the healthy minerals your employees need. And this cooler connects directly to your building’s existing water line, so your teams and customers have access to an endless supply of fresh, filtered water as needed.
With a bottleless water cooler from Quench, you can provide clean, great-tasting water that supports the health of your valuable team members, regardless of your area’s local water quality. Try our product finder to discover the machine your business needs or get a free quote to get started.