Details concerning the filtrationUpdated 10 months ago

Robi filters are produced by the Austrian company BWT (https://www.bwt.com/en/business-divisions/hotels-hospitality/). This company manufactures these filters to the highest standards and holds all the necessary certificates.

All our Robi filters use activated carbon filtration to purify the water. This technique is the standard for water filters, and is also used by Brita and other well-known water filtration systems.

It's important to mention at the outset that all drinking water in Belgium is rigorously controlled, so tap water is safe to drink without additional filtration.

That said, activated carbon filters remove a wide range of contaminants from drinking water. Here is a list of what they can remove or reduce:

1. **Chemicals and Gases** :

   - Removal and reduction of many different contaminants, including chemicals and gases.

   - Removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), to concentrations below 1 µg/l.

2. **Perfluorooctanesulphonic acid (PFOS)** :

   - Effective in the removal of PFOS, a water- and stain-resistant synthetic compound widely used in fire-extinguishing foams, upholstery and food packaging.

3. **Pharmaceutical residues** :

   - High quality activated carbon filters can remove pharmaceutical residues from drinking water.

4. **Phosphate**:

   - High-end activated carbon filters typically remove up to 90% of phosphates from water.

5. **Chlorine and chlorine by-products**:

   - Effective in eliminating chlorine and the unpleasant taste and odour that accompanies it.

   - Eliminates harmful chlorine by-products, including THMs, VOCs, haloacetic acids and others.

6. **Chloride** :

   - Can help reduce chloride concentrations in drinking water.

7. **Pesticides**:

   - Activated carbon filters remove most common pesticides likely to be found in water. This includes substances such as chlordecone (CLD/Kepone), chlordane, heptachlor, lindane and glyphosate (Round-up).

It is important to note that activated carbon filters are not effective against all types of contaminants. For example, they are not effective against microbial contamination (such as coliform bacteria) and certain heavy metals (such as sodium, nitrate, fluoride and lead). The effectiveness of an activated carbon filter depends on the extent of contact between the carbon and the untreated water, and can be reduced by the formation of channels inside the carbon filter during regular use. In addition, the specific composition of the water plays an important role in filtration efficiency.