While mountain spring water might taste okay, water from a lake, pond, or puddle might not taste as good and could smell bad, too. We also have it on good authority that it repeats on you for a while...
While the Ultrafiltration Filter Cartridge in your LifeSaver purifier or personal water filter will remove contaminants, it's unlikely to improve the flavour. Activated carbon filters adsorb unpleasant odours and tastes, leaving your water as good as bottled mineral water.
Along with taste and odour, the activated carbon filters used in LifeSaver products have been tested to show excellent and consistent heavy metal and chemical reduction for their stated life, over a range of sample contaminants such as chlorine, lead, nickel and cadmium. Combined with a UF filter cartridge, there is no better way to ensure the water you drink is cleaner or safer.
Activated carbon filters are fitted to the underside of the water outlet - the tap or nozzle - or at the water inlet point (in the Lifeline). The microbiologically clean water that has been passed through LifeSaver's ultrafiltration cartridge also gets filtered through the carbon disc before you drink it.
Activated carbon filters work through adsorption; as water passes through the filter, contaminant molecules get snagged by the rough surface of the fibres. They can only do this in a single layer. Once all the surfaces inside the filter are coated with contaminants, further impurities will slide on through. You'll know when this happens because the water will start to taste off. It's still safe to drink - the ultrafiltration cartridge will carry on working, but for the best taste, and for the comfort of knowing any non-microbiological contaminants are being reduced, you should replace your carbon filter.
