HWC AlkaPro 800

Both are reverse osmosis systems with their own drinking water faucet. The AlkaPro 800 is tankless and rated at 800 gallons a day, so the cupboard under the sink stays free of a storage tank. The 5 Stage RO stores purified water in a tank, ready to draw, which suits households that pull a lot of water at once. Both are under-sink installs of about two hours.

Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane fine enough (0.0001 microns) to strip out dissolved solids, heavy metals like lead, and the chlorine or chloramine left from the utility's disinfection; EPA's home water treatment guidance lists reverse osmosis among the methods that remove lead. It treats the water you actually drink and cook with, which is why people notice it within a day, in the coffee, in the ice and in a plain glass of water.

Five: chrome, brushed nickel, brushed gold, matte black and oil rubbed bronze. The faucet is the only part of the system you see, so we colour-match it to your appliances; tell us your pick at the water test. Quick connect fittings and easy maintenance and monitoring keep the unit simple to look after, and it carries a 1-year limited warranty.

The free in-home test, about 15 minutes at your kitchen sink, sets the exact price, with installation included, before you decide. If you are pairing drinking water with a whole-home softener, our softener plus reverse osmosis package starts at $2,850 installed. Households still buying bottled water by the case often find reverse osmosis pays for itself faster than they expected.