When you compare water purification devices for the home, you will see that there are many options. A home water purification device may use distillation, reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, multi-media blocks, ion exchange or sub-micron particle filtration.

Some of the best water purification devices on the market combine a variety of steps to reduce a wide range of contaminants. But, any filter is better than none, so let's look at the differences, so that you can make an informed choice.

There is a very inexpensive water purification device that comes in the form of a portable pitcher form. Since those are the least expensive, let's start with them.

Pitchers and carafe-style filters can be purchased for around $40 or less. They remove some chlorine, odor and some of the better models remove some lead. You can filter and store in the same container, but there are some disadvantages.

The filters have a very short life span, which causes the cost per gallon to be higher than say an effective kitchen countertop unit. At 25 cents per gallon, it is still a less expensive alternative than bottled, but many contaminants are not removed, including THM (a by-product of chlorination), which has lately been revealed to cause cancer.

Pitchers work very slowly and have to be replaced often. Depending on the material they are made of, they can "leak" additional contaminants into water stored in them, such as BPA, which has been shown to cause changes in prostate and breast tissue that predisposes the cells to cancer.

I'll cover distillation and reverse osmosis water purification devices because they have a shared disadvantage. Both de-mineralize, but neither remove chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, THMs, VOCs, prescription drugs or the 2000 other synthetic compounds that are known to contaminate our waters.

A distillation water purification device will remove bacteria and parasitic cysts. RO water purification devices will remove cysts and lead. But, other systems that cost less and require less energy will remove cysts and lead.

For bacterial contamination in the home, there is a new portable UV radiation device, but if you are serviced by a public utility, bacteria are usually contained, except in the case of flooding and the presence of cysts. During events such as flooding or hurricanes, the best advice is to use a selective water purification device first and then boil.

If boiling is not possible, due to power loss, the CDC recommends the use of household chlorine bleach, but I prefer to keep a case of bottled on hand for an emergency like that.

A multi-stage water purification device that combines carbon filtration with multi-media blocks, ion exchange and sub-micron particle filtration can remove every contaminant that I have mentioned here except bacteria like E coli. They are very affordable and the cost per gallon is less than a dime a day.

They require no electricity and work with any amount of pressure. Systems like RO require a higher pressure to work effectively. Hopefully, this information will help you choose the right water purification devices for your family.

Laurel Tevolitz is a dedicated researcher of critical issues that affect health and well-being. Visit her water purification blog now at http://www.safewaterpurifier.com
to discover which water purification system she recommends after extensive research.