There are several reasons to consider installing a water filter in your office, including encouraging staff to ditch single-use plastic bottles and replacing water cooler subscriptions, which provide staff with filtered water but have a recurrent cost that's removed when a filtration system is installed in your office kitchen. Under-sink water filters are preferable to countertop water filters for offices, as there tend to be more people using the water supply than there would be in a residential property.

Under-sink filters are plumbed into the water pipes that connect to your taps so that there's a constant supply of filtered water, whereas countertop filters have a fixed capacity and need to be refilled throughout the day. This can create problems in office environments, as resentment can grow if no-one is taking responsibility for refilling the water filter tank. Here's an overview of the two main types of under-sink water filtration systems that are suitable for offices:

Ultraviolet Filters

Ultraviolet (UV) filters utilise cutting-edge technology to purify water using safe, environmentally friendly ultraviolet radiation. Water passes through a chamber with a glass element, which irradiates the water before it leaves the chamber and comes out of the tap. UV filters require no additives and kill living microorganisms, such as bacteria and parasites, but they do not remove non-living contaminants, such as aluminium and fluoride.

Reverse Osmosis Filters

Reverse osmosis filters use jets of water pressure to move water through a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane traps contaminants, such as metal ions and parasites, and allows the purified water to pass through into the tap. The waste water with the pollutants is then released into the downpipe of the sink. Some reverse osmosis filters can be used with an activated carbon filter insert, which removes additional micro pollutants such as chlorine and fluoride. However, there is no requirement to use carbon filtration alongside reverse osmosis filters, and you may not feel the need to remove these additional compounds from your water.

Although there is a cost associated with having an under-sink water filter installed, there's very little maintenance involved with using these filters. If you're unsure of the best filter for your office kitchen, consult with a water treatment company before making a purchase. They will make a recommendation based on the number of people in your office and your water pressure levels, and they can show you a range of filter systems in use.