What benefits does this offer over a Brita/ZeroWater filter?
This filter makes non-potable water cleaner such that it won't kill you/make you seriously ill.
I'd hesitate to even say that much; there are a lot of dangerous contaminants (like organic toxins or heavy metals) which this filter won't touch.
> Does the ZeroWater® 5-stage filter reduce bacteria?
> The current system is meant to be used with municipally treated, potable water as the current filter will not remove microbiological contaminants.
> Does the ZeroWater® 5-stage filter reduce cryptosporidium?
> At this point ZeroWater® 5-stage filters have not been tested for the removal of cryptosporidium(microbiological cysts).
Both ZeroWater and Brita are explicit that their filters are meant to be used with water that the government has already deemed safe to drink.
The downside of mixed bed resins is that they are not selective and water with high dissolved content (TDS) will deplete the resin at very fast rate. Price per gallon is comparable to bottled water with moderate to high TDS. They are simple and very effective as long as the filter is replaced as needed.