5 Best Water Filters for Coliform Bacteria

Coliform bacteria are not uncommon in drinking water. Even public sources of water can be infested with coliform. If you’re worried about the drinking water in your home then consider one of the following.

Some drinking water filters can eliminate coliform almost entirely. These filters are made for a large number of bacteria in general, not just specifically targeting coliform.  

For the cleanest, worry-free water we recommend the SpringWell Whole House Water Filter System with UV add-on. If you’re on a budget, try the MegaHome Countertop Distiller.

The best water filters for coliform bacteria completely remove dangerous bacterias, as well as filtering for other contaminants like chlorine, heavy metals, and VOCs.

Here are the best water filters that eliminate coliform bacteria.

Best Water Filter for Coliform Bacteria – Our Top 5

1. SpringWell Whole House Well Water Filter System w/ UV Add On – Best Overall 
2. Megahome Countertop Water Distiller – Best on a budget
3. Big Berkey Water Filter – Best energy-efficient filter
4. HQUA-OWS-6 Ultraviolet Water Purifier Sterilizer Filter – Best for UV treatment
5. AlcaPure by RKIN – Best for high capacity filtering

5 Best Water Filters for Coliform Bacteria in Drinking Water

The following water filters eliminate coliform by distillation, filtering, or UV sterilization. While the final results are similar, these filters make drinking water using different techniques. 

1. SpringWell Whole House Well Water Filter System w/ UV Add On

Best overall

• Price: $$$$$
• Flow Rate: 12 GPM
• Capacity: Unlimited
• Lifespan: Life warranty
• Dimensions: 10 x 64”
• No of contaminants removed: 99.99%

This home filtration system is our number one recommendation as it removes 99.99% of all contaminants, AND has an extra UV addon to ensure coliform bacteria-free water. 

It’s installed directly on the water main and is ideal for clearing coliform and making water drinkable for an entire house.

Due to its size and flow rate, it’s suitable for very large families. A lot of people can be using water appliances at any one time without losing pressure.  So you can be washing dishes while the kids can be taking showers in separate bathrooms without any loss in water pressure.

In addition to eliminating disease-causing microbes, the water filter is also good for dealing with sulfur, manganese, and excessive iron. If you have a sink that is stained with an orange color you might be having high iron water issues as well.

Owners like the automated functions of the Bluetooth-connected head, which shows you just how much water it filters as well as a history of water filtration data for your home.

Additionally, the filter works well with an optional UV water purification system. 

The UV purifier add-on is an excellent choice for bacteria-free water. This extra stage eliminates common water bacteria and viruses such as E.coli and Giardia lamblia. 

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2. Megahome Countertop Water Distiller

Best on a budget   

• Price: $$
• Flow Rate: 1 gallon per 5.5 hours
• Capacity: 1.05 gallons
• Lifespan: More than 1 year
• Dimensions: 9.84 x 9.84 x 14.57 inches
• No of contaminants removed: 99%

This Megahome countertop water distiller is ideal for eliminating most bacteria such as coliform on a budget. Most users note that it works well despite its low price. Build quality is also mentioned by its users as one of its top attributes.

While more affordable than other water filters for coliform bacteria, this water distiller is rather practical. It can be stored on kitchen countertops where it can be easily accessed whenever needed.

Its reduced size means some advance planning will be required due to the time it takes to filter. With a 1-gallon filtering capacity, this countertop filter needs around 5.5 hours for a complete water distillation cycle according to the manufacturer.

Users note that when full, it can also take up to 7 hours to fully distill water which means its best to fill it up in the evening for a full distillation process to take place during the night.

A practical characteristic of the water filtration system is given by its 304 steel body. It serves two purposes. First, it aids lifespan as this type of steel is tested against high temperatures for durability. Secondly, it acts as a health filter where water isn’t in contact with plastic and possibly dangerous plastic particles. The final tasty clean drinkable water makes its way to a glass container.

The secret of the compact filter for coliform bacteria is its distillation process. Drinking water heats up to the evaporation point and it then starts to make its way to the final glass container leaving all harmful bacteria behind.

Both regular and deep cleaning are needed to keep the filter in a good condition free from bacteria. However, most customers agree the included cleaner that ships with the filter does a good job.

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2. Big Berkey Gravity Filter

Best energy-efficient filter

• Price: $$$
• Capacity: 2.25 gallons
• Lifespan: More than 2 years
• Dimensions: 19.25” x 8.5”
• No of contaminants removed: 200+

One of the most interesting aspects of the Big Berkey Filter is its energy independence. It uses gravity to filter water which allows it to be used both at home or while camping or hiking. The water filter doesn’t require electricity like most of its alternatives which also makes it cheaper to run in the long term.

Made out of 2 stainless steel containers, it uses carbon filters that filter water as it makes its way from the top container to the bottom container. Users note patience is needed as the filtering process is thorough. Others have even added two other optional filters for even cleaner water.

The filter is suitable for tap water, untreated raw river water, small streams, well water, and other water supply sources. 

You can filter up to 6.000 gallons of water before its purification elements need replacing. So you don’t need to worry about replacing the filter all the time unless you’re a particularly heavy user.

In terms of daily use, it sits above the Megahome above for families. It filters sufficient water for up to 4 people per day which makes it suitable for families or large homes instead.

Its performance has been third-party tested. Apart from eliminating coliform, it also filters out heavy metals, an issue for old home piping.  It has been shown to remove uranium, lead, mercury, and arsenic among other multiple contaminants. 

If you’re like me you worry about chemicals from plastic leaching into your water. Fortunately, it’s made with stainless steel so you don’t need to worry about BPAs.

Ideal for countertop storage, the filter has small drawbacks to consider as well. Most customers say there’s a bit of water left in the top container after the filtering process. But the good news is it still filters more than 2 gallons of water.

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4. HQUA-OWS-6 Ultraviolet Water Purifier Sterilizer Filter

Best for UV add-on

• Price: $$
• Flow Rate; 6GPM
• Capacity: Unlimited
• Lifespan: Multiple years
• Dimensions: 22.8 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches
• No of contaminants removed: 99.99%

This filter is recommended for those who want to add on UV treatment to their existing water filter system acting as a water sterilizer. The UV system allows water to make its way into a chamber (made from 304 stainless steel) where the UV lamp lies, together with a quartz sleeve that improves its efficiency. This filter requires a wall outlet nearby as it needs electricity to run.

It’s also easy to install. If you know your way around a toolbox you won’t need to call a plumber to have it installed. Most users note this is a DIY project that typically lasts about an hour.

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5. AlcaPure by RKIN  

Best Reverse Osmosis

• Price: $$$$
• Capacity: 0.5 gallons
• Lifespan: more than 1 year
• Dimensions: 9.5 x L 14.5 x 16.25
• No of contaminants removed: 99%

The AlcaPure by RKIN reverse osmosis filter is ideal for pure water with high-capacity filtering for home use. While it doesn’t have a large water container (only 0.5 gallons), it only takes about 15 minutes for it to filter this water tank offering alkaline water with a neutral pH that is free from coliform. This makes it suitable for families who are drinking all day long.

As a fully automated water filter, it requires minimum user input.. Water makes its way from the bottom container to the top container only for the residues to make their way to the bottom container again leaving you with half a gallon of pure drinking water.

This process is simple and most user reports agree with the manufacturer’s claim that it takes about 15 minutes for the water to filter when the container is full. Since the water container is small, families might need 3-4 filtering processes per day. This means the filter will be running 60 minutes per day for a family of 4. But it’s a very quick system, so as long as you don’t drink large amounts in one go, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

While advertised as a reverse osmosis system. It actually has several stages. Using a sediment filter, a coconut active carbon filter, a reverse osmosis membrane, and an ion-exchange filter mean the system can do things that many alternatives aren’t capable of.

First fluoride, chlorine, and heavy metals are filtered out extremely effectively. In addition, If you’re also interested in the health benefits of alkaline water the RKIN is a great pick, as its final filter stage adds calcium and magnesium. This will leave you with water of roughly 7 – 8pH.

Don’t forget that cleaning the bottom water tank before topping up water levels is necessary. This is due to the fact unfiltered water is returned to this tank and you need to clean it before a new filtering process.

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All About Coliform Bacteria in Water

Water filters are used for eliminating coliform from water. These filters make water drinkable or up to standard. Various types of water filters can be used to clear the bacteria.

What are coliform bacteria?

Coliform bacteria come from the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals and humans. Fecal coliform contamination is the most common cause of coliform bacteria in water.

How do they get into the water?

Most people need to establish where the coliform contamination comes from to fix the problem. Until the problem is resolved people aren’t allowed to drink the water to avoid problems such as an upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Coliform bacteria make their way into water from animals, possibly from nearby water sources. A water supply can sometimes be contaminated by animals as do water streams for local pastures. Coliform bacteria in drinking water can also come from surface water or deep savage of the septic system at home or from human sewage treatment plants.

The most common cause of drinking water coliform bacteria contamination is warm-blooded animals’ waste washed down in the ground to water sources [1]. These water sources become contaminated making nearby wells prone to coliform bacteria.

How to test for coliform bacteria?

Local health departments, as well as specialized drinking water laboratories, can perform coliform tests on the water. They normally send out multiple tests kits homeowners need to send back with the samples to determine possible coliform bacteria presence.

How much coliform bacteria is considered safe?

Most types of coliform bacteria are safe or not harmful. However, some types of coliform aren’t safe and they can lead to stomach pain and even fever. E.coli is a type of coliform known for its detrimental health impact [2].

Types of filters for removing coliform bacteria

Various types of filters can remove coliform bacteria from water. These work according to different principles but can be summarized as follows.

Distillers

Water distillers use a boiling point to evaporate water and leave out residue and bacteria behind. These are efficient against multiple types of bacteria.

Ceramic filters

Ceramic filters are ideal for bacteria. While inefficient for viruses, the best ceramic filters have small pores of up to 1 micron that filter water naturally.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis forces water through a membrane or filter. High pressure is characteristic of this filtering method, efficient against coliform. They’re most often available in countertop models, and we’ve written about the best ones here.

Ultra Violet

Ultraviolet water purification is known to annihilate coliform bacteria. A special UV light is needed to stop the pathogenic action of coliform in water. 

If you’ve decided on UV, check out our guide to the best UV purification systems.

How to Choose a Water Filter for Coliform

If you still aren’t sure how to choose a water filter for water with coliform you can consider the following step-by-step guide.

Test water quality first

Water needs to be tested first. The number of coliform bacteria might dictate the type of filter you need at home. Independent test kits are the easiest method of checking coliform levels in the water.

Consider the space needed for a filter

Each filter is different in size. Countertop water filters are small while well water filters can be too large for those with limited storage space. Filters installed on water supply pipes are also quite large.

Flow rate can be important

Flow rate is measured in gallons per minute. It’s only applicable to whole-house filters. The larger the house the higher the flow rate needs to be. Flow rate influences the pressure of drinking water from the tap and shower water pressure.

DIY and professional installation filters

Some water filters require no installation. Others might require calling in a professional. Make sure to always install and use water filters according to the manufacturers’ indications.

The cost of purchasing and running a water filter

Most water filters have a fixed purchasing price and a maintenance price. The maintenance price is normally related to the cost of replacing filters.

Frequently Asked Questions About Water Filters for Coliform Bacteria

Conclusion

The best water filters for coliform bacteria come in different sizes. From small kitchen countertop filters to whole-house water filters mounted on the water main, there are plenty of options to consider. 

The Megahome Countertop Water Distiller is the best choice if you’re on a budget as its practical, fast, and easy to use.

But if you really need the best water quality and have serious concerns about your home, a whole house water filter with UV add-on like the SpringWell is what we’d recommend.