TL;DR
Bottled water may seem safer, but it is expensive, inconvenient and creates ongoing plastic waste. BRITA jugs can improve chlorine-affected taste, while Puretec offers capable benchtop, under-sink and whole-house filtration. For families wanting more than basic taste improvement, AlkaWay’s UltraStream offers an appealing alternative. It filters tap water, adds alkaline minerals and produces hydrogen water without electricity. The result is fresh-tasting hydrogen water available directly from your kitchen tap. Your best filter depends on local water conditions, but UltraStream combines filtration, mineralisation, hydrogen water and Australian support in one practical system—making bottled water easier to leave behind for good.
Why families lose confidence in tap water
It often begins with taste. The water smells like a swimming pool, leaves an aftertaste or makes tea seem slightly wrong. Somebody buys bottled water, everyone prefers it, and another weekly expense quietly enters the family budget.
A sealed bottle may feel reassuring, but buying cartons does not solve the problem at your kitchen tap. It means carrying heavy packages, storing them and disposing of the empties. Over time, it can cost far more than filtering the water already supplied to your home.
Several established brands can improve town-water taste without complicated plumbing. The question is whether you want basic chlorine reduction or a more complete system producing filtered, mineralised hydrogen water.
First, work out what is spoiling the taste
For many Australian households on town water, chlorine is the obvious culprit. It helps keep water safe while travelling through the distribution system, but its taste and smell may remain noticeable at the tap.
Sediment, ageing pipes, hardness and naturally occurring minerals can also influence taste. Conditions vary between towns and homes, so no cartridge solves every water problem. in large areas of Australia there’s an ongoing lead pollution problem caused by old solder joints in ageing copper feed pipes.
If you notice unusual colour, a sudden change in smell or a persistent problem, contact your water authority or arrange testing. Choose a filter for your actual water, not because its advertisement contains the longest contaminant list.
BRITA: a first step
BRITA is probably the best-known choice for families wanting a simple jug. Its filters use activated carbon to reduce chlorine and substances affecting taste. Ion-exchange material can also reduce certain metals and carbonate hardness.
The advantages are familiarity, low initial cost and no installation. A jug suits renters, small households or anyone testing whether chlorine reduction improves their water.
The limitations are capacity and convenience. You must refill the jug, wait and change cartridges. A conventional jug does not intentionally add alkaline minerals or produce hydrogen water. BRITA can improve taste, but it remains a basic solution for a busy family.
Puretec: plenty of conventional filtration choices
Puretec is an Australian filtration brand offering benchtop, under-sink and whole-house systems. Its carbon-based options are designed to reduce chlorine, unpleasant taste and odour, with models addressing sediment and other concerns.
Puretec suits homeowners wanting basic filtration and a choice of installation styles. A benchtop model helps renters, an under-sink system clears the bench, and a whole-house unit treats multiple taps.
Your goal remains important. A suitable Puretec system may effectively improve chlorine-affected taste. However, if you specifically want mineralised alkaline water and molecular hydrogen, examine what the chosen model produces. A premium price does not automatically mean hydrogen water.
Why hydrogen water changes the comparison
Hydrogen water contains dissolved molecular hydrogen, or H₂. This is different from the hydrogen chemically bound inside every H₂O molecule. Hydrogen water should not be judged by pH alone either. Alkalinity and dissolved molecular hydrogen are separate measurements.
Interest has grown because scientists are investigating molecular hydrogen for potential biological effects. Research is encouraging in several areas but still developing. Hydrogen water should therefore be discussed sensibly, never as a miracle treatment or substitute for medical care.
For buyers, the practical distinction is simple. An ordinary filter reduces substances affecting taste. A purpose-designed hydrogen water system improves the starting water while infusing dissolved H₂. That gives families something more than the cheapest supermarket jug provides.
Why AlkaWay’s UltraStream stands apart
The AlkaWay UltraStream is a benchtop system performing several tasks in one pass. It filters unwanted contaminants, adds alkaline minerals and infuses the finished water with molecular hydrogen—without electricity or wastewater.
That combination matters. Some technologies strip out minerals unless a remineralisation stage is added. Some alkaline devices rely on minerals already in the source water but offer limited filtration. Hydrogen bottles can generate hydrogen water but are not generally intended to provide comprehensive tap-water filtration.
UltraStream combines filtration, mineralisation and hydrogen water in one replaceable cartridge. It connects to a suitable kitchen tap, normally avoiding a permanent under-sink installation. Turn the diverter and fill a glass, kettle or reusable bottle.
Taste is an immediate advantage. Reducing chlorine and other taste-affecting substances removes the chemical edge that sends families back to bottled water. Added minerals help the water taste fresh rather than flat, while hydrogen water is produced as it flows through the system.
Support and replacement costs matter
A filter is not a once-only purchase. It needs cartridge replacement, and customers eventually ask about installation, flow, maintenance or compatibility.
The company behind it therefore matters. AlkaWay has specialised in filtered, alkaline and hydrogen water for more than 26 years. Australian customers can speak with a local team that understands UltraStream rather than an unknown marketplace seller.
Compare the cost per litre over a complete cartridge cycle, including delivery and installation. Then compare it with your bottled-water spending—and the time spent buying, carrying, storing and recycling bottles.
One big reason many customers opt for the UltraStream is that its modular design permits us to improve filtration as new contaminants arrive. Our present UltraStream filter is our fifth iteration from the original, affording improved virus control, PFAS reduction, pH management, and more.
How to help your family make the switch
Switching becomes easier when filtered hydrogen water is more convenient than bottles. Keep reusable glass bottles in the refrigerator and give each family member a durable bottle for work or school.
Try a blind taste test. Chill bottled water and UltraStream hydrogen water to the same temperature, pour them into identical glasses and ask which the family prefers. Equal temperature makes the comparison fairer.
Finally, maintain the system properly. Replace its cartridge at the recommended interval, follow cleaning instructions and confirm that the model suits your tap and source water.
The verdict
BRITA is a practical entry-level choice for reducing chlorine taste. Puretec offers conventional benchtop, under-sink and whole-house filtration.
For families ready to move beyond basic filtered water, UltraStream is the more complete alternative. It tackles the taste problem that began the bottled-water habit while producing mineralised alkaline hydrogen water in the kitchen.
No more cartons filling the pantry or emergency trips when the final bottle disappears—just convenient hydrogen water backed by decades of specialist support.
If your family wants better-tasting water, less plastic and more than an ordinary jug provides, UltraStream is the filter I would put beside the kitchen sink.
