Water is an essential element for human survival. But, the quality of water in households is not always guaranteed. With the increasing pollution and contamination of water sources globally and in the U.S., it has become crucial to ensure that domestic water is safe for consumption.
Because of deteriorating water conditions, the demand for home water filters is rising. So read on to explore these issues and discover the top types of water filters for healthy water at home.
Table of Contents
Global water conditions that make water filters necessary
U.S. water conditions that drive the need for water filters
Market growth for domestic water filters
Most popular water filters available for households
The benefits of stocking water filters
Global water conditions that make water filters necessary
According to one 2023 report by the United Nations University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health Access, almost 5.5 billion people worldwide do not have water security. This means that their water is not safe to drink. Despite globally poor water conditions, our focus here is on water quality in the United States.
U.S. water conditions that drive the need for water filters
Despite implementing safe water management practices, U.S. water is contaminated. One U.S. Geological Survey detected over 12,000 kinds of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in 45% of tap water throughout this country. PFAS are known as forever chemicals, which can negatively impact human health.
Besides PFAS, water manufacturers sell water filters that are designed to treat other harmful substances. By removing or treating contaminants like dissolved solids, pathogens, and microorganisms, water filters make it safer to drink water in many areas.
Due to contaminated water, many people are searching for ways to reduce their health risks. One of their solutions is to explore household water filters to access cleaner drinking water.
Market growth for domestic water filters
North America consists of the U.S. and Canada. The market size for home water filters in these countries stood at approximately USD 2.09 billion in 2022. Research also predicts that this market will grow at a 7.4% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2030.
Additionally, keyword searches indicate the popularity of many products. Google Ads shows that people conducted an average of 368,000 searches for water filters. This search volume rose from 368,000 in May 2023 to 450,000 in October 2023, a change of 22,28%. Overall, insights like these are useful in helping suppliers to understand market demand.
Most popular water filters available for households
The following section explores different types of filters and the search interest in these products. Readers can also follow the links to see examples of each of these water filter examples.
Reverse osmosis filters
A reverse osmosis water filter reverses the water flow, passing it through a membrane to filter the water. As the water moves through the semipermeable membrane, it removes many unwanted impurities. These impurities include bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
The reverse osmosis water filtration system is also effective in removing chemical contaminants like heavy metals and fluoride. Additionally, domestic reverse osmosis filters can eliminate up to 94% of PFSAs.
Most domestic reverse osmosis systems use large volumes of water in the purification process, reducing the water pressure. However, the high level of water usage is why reverse osmosis is suitable as a faucet filter rather than as a whole-house water filter system. Because of the many positive qualities of the reverse osmosis system, it is a best seller,
Google Ads search volume for reverse osmosis water filters was 74,000 in May 2023. Due to increasing interest, these search volumes rose to 110,000 in October 2023, showing a huge rise of 48,64%.
Activated carbon water filters
Activated carbon filters or granular activated carbon (GAC) filters use a principle called adsorption to purify water. As particles pass over the active carbon, they stick to it, preventing it from landing in the drinking water.
These carbon water filters remove substances like agricultural chemicals, chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, magnesium, organic matter, and sediment. Unfortunately, harmful contaminants like nitrate and coal are not attracted to carbon, so they pass into the tap water. This reason is why experts recommend using carbon filters with other water filter methods.
Under-sink water filters are useful when there is mild city water contamination. Whole house water filter systems may be necessary in extreme circumstances to purify water from showers.
Carbon filtration keyword searches grew from 27,100 in May 2023 to 33,100 in October 2023. According to Google Ads, this shows a strong growth of 22,14% over a short six-month period.
Ultraviolet (UV) water filters
Ultraviolet or UV water filtration systems use various UV light frequencies to destroy viruses and bacteria. As these harmful contaminants pass through the light, they absorb it, which eventually destroys their DNA. The UV water filter system does not destroy all contaminants, so it is best to use it with other filtration systems.
The interest levels in UV water purifier keywords remained unchanged between May and October 2023, averaging 12,100 searches monthly, according to Google Ads.
ION exchange filters
Ion exchange technology uses contents that can swap ions in some matter. Also known as water softeners, ion exchange water filters can remove harmful substances like heavy metals, manganese, iron, and nitrates.
These water filters can also be designed to remove sulfate, arsenic, selenium, chromium, and a certain amount of radioactivity. Like some other water filters, these ones must be used with others as they do not eliminate viruses, bacteria, or protozoa.
Google Ads search volumes did not change much for “ION exchange water filters” between May and October 2023. These search volumes averaged 1,600 monthly, indicating a stable interest in this type of water filter.
Mechanical water filters
These types of water filters can be high-capacity and complex, using various techniques to clean water. Mechanical water filters are also better for use as pre-filtration methods since they remove large particles from water flows. For example, this water filter technique removes organic matter, clay, sediment, sand, silt, and loose scale. However, mechanical water filters are available with cartridge sediment filters, single media filters, and multimedia filters. Depending on the quality, they can remove smaller contaminants like chemicals and bacteria.
According to Google Ads, the search volume for “mechanical water filters” declined by 23,80% from May 2023 to October 2023. The average search volume in November 2023 was 260, indicating low interest in this more expensive water filter equipment.
The benefits of stocking water filters
Customers can stock up on high-quality international orders for various types of water filters. The reverse osmosis water filter market is popular but has its advantages and drawbacks.
Similarly, the niche mechanical water filter or ION exchange water filter markets have plus points and disadvantages. Otherwise, suppliers can stock up on various water filters to cater to a range of buyers.
Whichever markets you wish to serve, our suppliers can help you boost your sales. To learn more and to explore a range of water filter options, head to the Alibaba.com showroom.