Tap water to go
The 3M Filtrete Water Station filters water straight from the tap directly into portable bottles. Each half-liter bottle is reusable and BPA-free.
In the beginning there was tap water. (Well, not the beginning-beginning, but it's a good place to start.) Faucets everywhere poured forth the most essential of ingredients: water. Jugs, buckets, and bottles were filled with H2O and carried about. Eventually, somebody figured out that people would pay for individual bottles of water, and industry took notice. Now, water bottles populate store shelves, seemingly outnumbering soda in the amount of varieties available. Problem is, all those water bottles are a terrific waste.
Luckily, water is readily available, and the stuff that comes out of a tap is regulated. However, regulated water doesn't necessarily mean delicious water, and to that end many consumers choose to filter their tap water. But when it comes to portability, those bulky pitchers don't fare so well.
Offering the best of both worlds, the 3M Filtrete Water Station combines the portability of bottled water with the convenience of tap water. The system features a central filter station and four reusable BPA-free bottles. Each 16.9-ounce (500-ml) bottle attaches to the main unit, and tap water is poured in the top. As the water filters down, it is distributed to connected bottles (not all four must be filled every time), and when each is removed, internal valves on the main unit eliminate excess dripping. By removing sediment, chlorine taste and odor from drinking water, the filter station not only improves upon what comes out of the tap but also does so in a way that lets you take it with you.