Distilled Water vs. Purified Water (Comparison Guide) 2024

Two of the most well-known types of bottled water people go for to drink are distilled water vs. purified water. They are some of the cleanest choices of bottled water available.

This article aims to answer the question of whether the distilled water is the same as purified.

drinkingdistilled water vs purified water

Most people know how important it is to drink water every day. For your cells in your body to function properly, you must hydrate every day. Optimal water intake is necessary. Many of us believe that we should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

But what many people don’t know is whether these two types of water are the same thing since the aftermath of the distilled vs purified water are quite similar.

Distilled Water

drinking distilled water

From the term “distilled”, distilled water goes through the process of distillation. Water distillation is a water purification process that uses a heat source to vaporize water and separate it from the contaminants within. Examples of these contaminants are inorganic minerals and metals which include aluminum, copper, etc.

Due to the purification, distilled water is commonly used in laboratories and medical facilities.

The distilled drinking water has been around since AD 200, in which seawater was used for the distillation process. In Aristotle’s Meteorologica, they have referred to this process as the distillation of water.

Benefits

Water distillation is a beneficial way to remove contaminants such as bacteria and pesticides.

Distillation also can remove fluoride from your water. Originally, fluoride was used in local water supplies to strengthen teeth, but would later then lead to fluorosis.

*Fluoride is a mineral used in toothpaste, varnish, gel, and mouth rinse.

Tap water contributes masses of calcium and urine crystals forming in the kidneys. The risk is avoided with distilled water since it is free from those minerals.

distilled bottled water

Notable Distilled Water Bottle Brands

  • Ferrarelle Naturally Sparkling Mineral Water
  • Fiji Natural Artesian Water
  • Evian Natural Spring Water
  • Volvic Natural Spring Water

 

Purified Water

purified bottled water

Purified water refers to the quality of water that has been processed or filtered to remove contaminants such as chemicals and other impurities. Many contaminants, such as bacteria, fungi, algae, metals, and chemical pollutants are removed through the purification process.

Tap water and groundwater are commonly used to produce purified water, but may also originate from spring or surface water. For the water to be classified as purified water, it must have less than 10 ppm or 10 parts per million. Meaning, the majority of the contaminants must be removed.

There are various methods in countries that purify public drinking water, some of these include:

  • Sedimentation
  • Disinfection
  • Coagulation

Benefits

Heavy metals such as copper and lead still leach into drinking water.

The risk of having the metals and contaminants is avoided by drinking purified bottled water or using in-home water filters. This varies on the type of purification system used of course.

For instance; a charcoal filtration system is a type of water purification system that removes chlorine. Chlorine is a common chemical added to the public water supply as a disinfectant.

Purified water also removes the unpleasant taste associated with metal plumbing and organic matter. This leaves you with fresh, drinking water.

Notable Purified Water Bottle Brands

bottled water options
  • Nestle
  • Aquafina
  • Danone Bottled
  • Deer Park
  • Ozarka

Similarities

The big surprise that many people do not realize is that distilled water is a type of purified water. There is no essential difference between the two aside from the different terms and that distillation involves boiling water that consumes a tremendous amount of energy to do so.

Distilled water, also known as demineralized water, involves boiling water and then accumulating steam. Upon cooling, the steam returns to its liquid state- which takes up a lot of energy. The process of distillation is one of the many ways of creating purified water.

Conclusion

Whether you prefer distilled water vs purified water, they are more or less the same. What’s important is that the water is clean to drink. There is no determining factor when choosing purified water vs distilled water.