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Water filter jug vs reverse osmosis

Updated: 23 October 2026

A glass jug near £35 and a countertop machine at about £429 are both called filters, and they are not the same job. You buy the jug for less chlorine taste and a bit less temporary hardness. You buy reverse osmosis only if you want dissolved solids reduced and you will empty a waste tank. In this capture the jug side is the BRITA glass jug or the Aquaphor white jug, and the membrane side is the Waterdrop M6HG. The PT-72 is the jug whose bullets say it does not lower TDS. Figures are from amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026. This is not a measurement of your tap. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The rows are on the [filter glass comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/filter-glass).

A glass jug near £35 and a countertop machine at about £429 are both called filters, and they are not the same job. You buy the jug for less chlorine taste and a bit less temporary hardness.

Our top picks

BRITA BRITA glass filter jug

Best overall

BRITA BRITA glass filter jug
8.6/10about £47.49
View offer
Waterdrop Waterdrop M6HG system

Alternative

Waterdrop Waterdrop M6HG system
8.6/10about £429
View offer
AQUAPHOR AQUAPHOR white glass jug

Best value

AQUAPHOR AQUAPHOR white glass jug
8.4/10about £34.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What each one is for
  2. 2.Standards on the box
  3. 3.Waste water and minerals
  4. 4.Plumbing, plugs, and the water company
  5. 5.Which to buy, with a condition

What each one is for

A gravity jug passes tap water through carbon, and sometimes ion-exchange resin. Public mains are already required to be wholesome, so the Drinking Water Inspectorate treats a jug as optional. The PT-72 draws the line that matters here: this system does not lower TDS. Reverse osmosis is a membrane. The M6HG bullets say it reduces TDS, and the star line of 4.3 from 168 reviews includes other Waterdrop models. If kettle scale is the only complaint, read the hard water page.

Standards on the box

NSF/ANSI 42 is chlorine taste and odour. NSF/ANSI 53 is the health-effect claims listed for that model only. Both PT-72 colours print 42, 53 and 372. NSF/ANSI 58 is the reverse-osmosis number on the M6HG highlight, next to 372. Standard 372 means lead-free materials, not that lead is removed. The M6HG bullets name lead. The PT-72 highlight does not. Quote the number that is printed.
BRITA BRITA glass filter jug

Testsieger

BRITA BRITA glass filter jug
8.6/10about £47.49
View offer

Waste water and minerals

The M6HG bullets say 3:1 pure to drain, with a 5.5 litre tank split as 4 litres of feed and 1.5 litres of waste. UK reviews call emptying that waste a daily chore. The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s general note puts domestic reverse-osmosis waste at about 20 to 30 percent of incoming flow. That note is not a measurement of this unit. Do not merge the two figures. The Inspectorate also says reverse-osmosis water is not generally for drinking unless minerals are added back. The M6HG bullets say it remineralises. That is not a claim the water is better than the tap. A jug does not create that waste tank.

Plumbing, plugs, and the water company

The M6HG bullets say you fill the tank and plug in, with a Type G plug. They do not describe a pipe connection. Notify the water company before reverse osmosis is installed on the supply. That notice is about plumbing, not about a jug you fill at the tap. Do not skip it if you later plumb a unit under the sink. The ED12W does not inherit the Type G line. At 9.89 kg the M6HG stays on the counter. One review puts a filter at 12 months and about £69.99, which the specification does not print. Flushing a gravity jug is on how to use a glass water filter jug.

Which to buy, with a condition

Buy a glass jug for taste and, at most, a partial effect on temporary hardness, and change the cartridge. The BRITA glass jug is the top pick on the review-count rule. The Aquaphor white jug is best value if you accept no NSF number. Read the PT-72 when you want NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 372 and you already know it will not lower TDS. Buy the M6HG only for dissolved solids, and only if you will empty a waste tank. The type choice is on the buying guide.

Common questions

Does the PT-72 lower TDS?
No. The bullets on the white and black PT-72 say this system does not lower TDS, and they point elsewhere if a lower TDS is what you want. The same listings still claim NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 372 and name substances such as chlorine and PFOA/PFOS. A TDS pen that barely moves is consistent with the page, not proof the cartridge has failed.
What does NSF/ANSI 58 cover, and what does 372 not cover?
NSF/ANSI 58 is the reverse-osmosis standard named on the M6HG highlight. NSF/ANSI 372, printed beside it and also on the PT-72, concerns lead-free materials. It does not mean lead is removed from the water. Lead removal has to be its own claim. The M6HG bullets name lead. The PT-72 highlight in this capture does not.
What waste figure is on the M6HG, and what did the Inspectorate say?
The M6HG bullets say 3:1 pure to drain, with a 5.5 litre tank described as 4 litres of feed and 1.5 litres of waste. The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s general note puts domestic reverse-osmosis waste at about 20 to 30 percent of incoming flow. Those are different statements. The 3:1 line is this listing. The 20 to 30 percent line is not a test of this unit.
Do you notify the water company about this countertop unit?
Notify the company if you install reverse osmosis on the supply, which means plumbing it in. The Inspectorate’s notice is about that connection. The M6HG bullets describe a tank you fill and a Type G plug, not a pipe fitting. You do not send a notice only because the machine is reverse osmosis. You do notify them if a later unit is plumbed.
Why do some reverse-osmosis units add minerals back?
The Drinking Water Inspectorate says reverse osmosis removes most dissolved solids and is not generally for drinking unless minerals are added back, citing World Health Organization advice. The M6HG bullets include a remineralisation stage after the membrane. That matches the shape of the advice. It does not mean the finished water is healthier than ordinary UK tap water.

Related pages

Best filter glass

Filter glass

Glass water filter jug buying guide: check the job

Glass water filter jug for hard water kettle scale

How to use a glass water filter jug, then store it

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22.10.2026.

  1. DWI: domestic water filters and softeners (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. DWI: water hardness (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. DWI: chlorine (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. DWI: PFAS and forever chemicals (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Water UK: Looking after water in your home (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Water fittings regulation 4 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. NSF: NSF/ANSI 42, 53 and 401 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. BRITA jug instructions (2026 PDF) (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  9. Which?: water filter jugs (retrieved 22.10.2026)