Distilled Water vs Spring Water vs RO vs Filtered: Which Is Best?
Not All Water Is Created Equal
Walk into any grocery store and you’ll find shelves lined with bottled water options — distilled, spring, reverse osmosis, filtered, purified. They all look the same in the bottle, but the differences in how they’re made and what’s left in the water are significant.
Distilled Water: The Purest Option
Distillation recreates nature’s own purification process. Water is heated to boiling, converting it to steam that rises and leaves behind virtually everything — minerals, chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria, and contaminants. The steam is then cooled back into liquid water testing between 0 and 5 PPM total dissolved solids. For context, typical GTA tap water tests between 100 and 300 PPM.
Best for: CPAP machines, steam irons, humidifiers, automotive cooling systems, medical and dental equipment, baby formula, aquariums, lab applications, and the cleanest possible drinking water.
Spring Water: Natural and Mineral-Rich
Spring water comes from underground sources where water naturally flows to the surface, retaining minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium picked up through layers of rock and soil. These minerals give spring water its characteristic taste that many people prefer for everyday drinking.
Best for: Daily drinking water, cooking, and anyone who prefers a natural mineral taste.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water
Reverse osmosis pushes water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure, blocking most dissolved solids and typically reducing TDS by 90-95%. RO water usually tests between 10 and 50 PPM — much cleaner than tap but not as pure as distilled. The downside is significant water waste (3-4 litres per 1 litre produced) and regular membrane replacement costs.
Best for: Home drinking water, cooking. A solid middle-ground but still contains dissolved minerals that cause deposits in sensitive equipment.
Filtered Water
Filtered water passes through carbon, ceramic, or other media to remove chlorine, sediment, and some contaminants. Think Brita pitchers and fridge dispensers. These improve taste but do very little to reduce dissolved minerals. Filtered water typically tests between 80 and 250 PPM.
Best for: Improving tap water taste for everyday drinking. Not suitable for applications requiring mineral-free water.
Our Recommendation
For applications where purity matters — CPAP machines, dental autoclaves, steam appliances, humidifiers — distilled water is the clear winner. For everyday hydration with a natural mineral taste, spring water is excellent.
At Puretap, we’ve been producing premium distilled and spring water for over 40 years. Every batch is lab-tested, and we deliver throughout Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Caledon, and the Greater Toronto Area.
