Key takeaways
- Filtered water passes through carbon or sediment filters that trap specific contaminants and keep natural minerals, so it works well for daily drinking and cooking.
- Purified water is a broad category with strict purity standards, and its mineral content depends on the treatment method.
- Distilled water starts as steam, so it contains almost no minerals and tastes flat, which suits CPAP machines, humidifiers, and steam irons better than daily drinking.
- Reverse osmosis (RO) produces most home purified water, and a water test shows which option fits your home.
Walk down the water aisle and you will see all three labels on the shelf. They sound like synonyms, but each one describes a different treatment process, and that process decides what stays in your glass. This guide explains how each type works, what each one tastes like, and where each one fits in a Las Vegas home.
What is filtered water?
Filtered water is tap water that passes through one or more filters that trap specific contaminants. A filter works like a screen: it catches what it targets and lets everything else pass.
How filtration works
Different filters handle different jobs:
- Sediment filters trap sand, rust, and debris.
- Activated carbon grabs chlorine and many chemicals that cause bad taste and odor.
- Micron filters physically block particles above a set size.
- UV treatment uses ultraviolet light to disinfect water, usually alongside other filters.
- Ion exchange swaps hardness minerals for other minerals. Water softeners use this method, and it differs from the filters that clean drinking water. Our guide on water refiners vs. water conditioners explains the difference.
Minerals and taste
Filtered water keeps its natural minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Most people describe the taste as natural and crisp, because carbon filters remove chlorine without stripping the flavor.
What filtered water removes
Each filter targets specific contaminants, so the filter you choose sets your results. Common targets include chlorine, sediment, and lead. Some certified filters also reduce PFAS. Look for these certifications to see what a filter handles:
- NSF/ANSI 42 covers taste and odor.
- NSF/ANSI 53 covers health-related contaminants such as lead.
- NSF/ANSI 58 covers reverse osmosis systems.
Best uses for filtered water
Filtered water suits daily drinking, cooking, and hot beverages like coffee and tea.
What is purified water?
Purified water is a broad category. It covers water that a treatment process cleans to meet a purity standard, whichever method does the cleaning. Reverse osmosis, deionization, and distillation all produce purified water. That makes distilled water one type of purified water.
For bottled water, federal rules from the FDA define purified water as water with no more than 10 parts per million of total dissolved solids (TDS).
Minerals and taste
Minerals vary by method. Reverse osmosis strips out most of them, and some systems add minerals back through a remineralization step. The taste runs clean and neutral.
How to read a purified water label
The word “purified” does not name the method. Check the label or the manufacturer’s website for the process, such as reverse osmosis or distillation, and for any added minerals.
Best uses for purified water
Purified water works for everyday hydration and general household use where you want high purity.
What is distilled water?
Distilled water is purified water that starts as steam. The process leaves almost every mineral and impurity behind.
How distillation works
- Heat the water until it boils and turns to steam.
- Capture the steam as it rises, which leaves minerals and most contaminants in the pot.
- Cool the steam so it condenses back into liquid water.
Chlorine and some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can evaporate with the steam and end up in the finished water, so many home distillers add a carbon filter.
Minerals and taste
Distilled water contains zero minerals. Without them, it tastes flat or empty.
Is distilled water safe to drink every day?
Yes, distilled water is safe to drink. It tastes flat and adds no minerals, so most households keep it for equipment and choose filtered or RO water for daily drinking.
Best uses for distilled water
Distilled water protects equipment that mineral buildup can damage:
- CPAP machines
- Humidifiers
- Steam irons
- Car cooling systems
- Laboratory and medical equipment
Filtered vs. distilled vs. purified water: side-by-side comparison
Filtered | Purified | Distilled | Tap | |
How it works | Filters trap specific contaminants | Treatment such as RO or deionization meets a purity standard | Boiling and condensing steam | Municipal treatment |
Minerals | Keeps natural minerals | Varies by method | None | Contains minerals |
Taste | Natural, crisp | Clean, neutral | Flat | Varies by source and pipes |
Contaminant removal | Targets specific contaminants | High, depends on method | Very high, and a carbon filter helps with VOCs | Meets federal limits, varies by home |
Best uses | Drinking, cooking, coffee | Everyday hydration | CPAP, humidifiers, irons | General household use |
Relative home cost | Low | Low to moderate | Highest, because boiling takes energy | Lowest |
Which water should you use?
Match the water to the job:
Use | Best choice |
Drinking and cooking | Filtered or RO purified water |
Coffee and tea | Filtered or remineralized RO water, because distilled tastes flat |
CPAP machine | Distilled water, per your manufacturer |
Humidifier | Distilled water, per your manual |
Steam iron | Distilled water |
Car cooling system | Distilled water |
Baby formula | Ask your pediatrician |
Distilled vs. purified water for baby formula
Parents ask this often. Distilled water has no minerals, and purified water varies by treatment method. Ask your pediatrician which water to use for formula, and check CDC guidance on safe formula preparation. If you use a home RO system, confirm that choice with your pediatrician first.
CPAP and humidifier water
Most CPAP manufacturers recommend distilled water. Purified water can still carry trace minerals, and those minerals leave deposits in the humidifier chamber and shorten the life of the device. Follow your device manual.
How reverse osmosis makes purified water
Reverse osmosis pushes water through a semipermeable membrane using your home’s water pressure. The membrane blocks dissolved solids, including many heavy metals, fluoride, and nitrates. Most RO systems add pre-filters that trap sediment and chlorine, and post-filters that polish the taste. Performance varies by system, so check the certified contaminant list.
Good to know: RO removes most minerals along with contaminants. RO water holds far fewer minerals than filtered tap water unless the system adds them back.
RO vs. distillation
Both methods reach high purity. RO reduces many of the same contaminants as distillation, plus chlorine, and it delivers water at your tap with no boiling, condensing, or bottling.
Remineralization
Some RO systems include an optional cartridge that adds minerals back. Many people choose it for the smoother taste in coffee and tea.
What to look for in an RO system
- NSF/ANSI 58 certification
- A certified contaminant list that matches your concerns, such as lead, arsenic, nitrates, or PFAS
- A filter replacement schedule you can keep
Explore EcoWater reverse osmosis systems and our water purification options.
Where Las Vegas tap water fits in
All three types start with the water from your tap. Southern Nevada draws most of its water from Lake Mead. The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) publishes a water quality report every year, and you can read it online.
Las Vegas tap water is hard. As water moves through rock and soil, it picks up calcium and magnesium, and the USGS explains that these minerals cause hardness. Our Las Vegas water hardness guide covers the numbers, and our post on drinking tap water in Las Vegas covers safety.
Filters and RO systems improve your drinking water, but they do not soften the water for your whole house. Scale on fixtures, dishes, and appliances needs a softener.
What TDS readings show
Total dissolved solids (TDS) measure the minerals and other dissolved material in your water, in parts per million. A handheld TDS meter gives a quick comparison.
Test your water before you choose
Guessing about your water wastes money. A professional water diagnosis shows your hardness, chlorine, and TDS, and it tells you which type fits your home. Start with your free LVVWD report, then schedule a water diagnosis with EcoWater.
Home options for filtered and purified water
- Reverse osmosis systems give you purified drinking and cooking water at the kitchen tap.
- Whole-home filtration treats every tap in the house.
- Water filters and replacements keep your current system running.
- Store-bought distilled water covers CPAP and appliance needs, so you do not need a home distiller.
Common myths about filtered, distilled, and purified water
Myth: “Purified means pure.”
Pure water does not exist outside a lab. “Purified” describes a process, and results vary by method.
Myth: “Distilled water drains minerals from your body.”
Most of the minerals you take in come from food. Distilled water adds none, which is one reason most people skip it for daily drinking.
Myth: “Filtered and distilled water are the same.”
Filtration traps specific contaminants and keeps minerals. Distillation boils and condenses water and leaves almost everything behind.
Myth: “Boiling water makes it distilled.”
Boiling kills germs, but it does not remove minerals or chemical contaminants. Distillation captures the steam and condenses it into clean water.
Frequently asked questions
Is filtered water the same as distilled water?
No. Filtered water passes through filters that trap specific contaminants and keeps natural minerals. Distilled water starts as steam and contains almost no minerals.
Is purified water the same as distilled water?
No. Distilled water is one type of purified water. Purified water also includes water from reverse osmosis and deionization.
Is distilled or purified water better to drink?
Both are safe. Most people prefer filtered or RO purified water for daily drinking because the taste is better, and they keep distilled water for equipment.
Can I use purified water in a CPAP machine?
Most manufacturers recommend distilled water, because purified water can leave mineral deposits. Check your manual.
Can you drink distilled water every day?
You can, and it is safe. It tastes flat and adds no minerals, so many people choose another option.
Does reverse osmosis remove minerals?
Yes, RO removes most minerals. Some systems add them back with a remineralization cartridge.
Is boiled water the same as distilled water?
No. Boiling kills germs but leaves minerals and chemicals in the water.
Is distilled or purified water better for baby formula?
Ask your pediatrician. Distilled water has no minerals, and purified water varies by method.
Next steps for distilled vs. purified water
Filtered water keeps natural minerals and handles specific contaminants. Purified water covers a range of treatments, and reverse osmosis leads the home options. Distilled water earns its place in CPAP machines, humidifiers, and steam irons.
Start with a water diagnosis. The EcoWater team tests your water, explains the results in plain language, and recommends the right fit for your home. Call us at (702) 485-3583 or request a quote. Hablamos español.
When you want clean-tasting drinking water at your kitchen tap, explore our reverse osmosis systems. EcoWater is the world’s largest residential water treatment manufacturer, approximately 95% of our products are Made in America, and we have served Southern Nevada since 1983.