5 Best Water Filters for Coliform Bacteria

You’ve made a great choice by looking for a water filtration system that can remove coliform bacteria from your tap water. 

The challenge is determining which coliform bacteria removal system is the right one for you. 

That’s what I am here to help you with.

I have spent a considerable amount of time determining what I think is the best water filter for coliform bacteria removal and I will review all 5 of my top choices for doing this very important water purification task.

This article will also discuss what coliform bacteria is and why it can be a health concern if it’s found to be in your tap water. 

Much of this information I will give you about coliform bacteria and how to treat it I learned in my 26-year stint helping to prevent bad bacteria and pathogen buildup in swimming pools.   

Find The Right Section…

• Find our water filter systems for coliform bacteria best of list
• Find the evaluation criteria we used to select the best water filters for coliform bacteria 
• Find our water filter for coliform bacteria individual reviews
• Learn more about coliform water filters with our buyers guide

Best Filters for Coliform Bacteria Compared

What to Look for When Choosing a Water Filter for Coliform Bacteria

Here are the main traits of tap water bacterial removal or treatment devices that you should consider the most when shopping for one:

The Coliform Bacteria Removal Method Used

As you will learn in this article, several different methods are used to remove or render ineffective coliforms in water. 

They are all very impactful but you may prefer one over the others based on such traits as ease of use and maintenance required.

Other Contaminants Removed Besides Coliforms

Some coliform bacteria treatment devices only target coliforms and others will remove or reduce a wide variety of other contaminants in your tap water too.

Is It A Whole-House Or Point Of Use System?

If you want to treat 100% of the incoming water to your home for bacteria, you will want to get a whole-house bacteria removal device.

If you are only concerned with making the water that you and your family drink bacteria-free, then a point-of-use system is what you need.

Ease of Setup and Maintenance

You may be able to set up your new bacteria treatment equipment yourself or it might require professional installation which will add to the cost. 

Some systems are also manually operated or programmable and can be maintenance-free or require some monthly upkeep to be done to them.   

Price

Bacteria treatment devices come in all different price ranges. So your water treatment budget will have some impact on this purchase too. 

You will also have to take a look at how much it costs to operate your new system after it has been installed.

Warranties/Guarantees

Some bacteria treatment devices are fairly costly to install. Having a good satisfaction guarantee or warranty with your new water treatment device will give you some nice peace of mind when making that purchase.

Reviews of the Best Filters for Coliform Bacteria

Review Order

1. Springwell Well Water System
2. Viqua D4 Premium
3. Big Berkey Gravity Filter
4. Waterwise 4000 Distiller
5. Waterdrop G3 RO System

Based on the important bacterial removal and inactivating system traits mentioned above, here are the devices I like best for performing this task.

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

If you are looking to do more than just inactivate the bacteria that are in your home’s tap water, a complete whole house water filtration system like this one will nicely work for that. 

Keep in mind that this system will not take care of the coliform bacteria problems in your household water unless you purchase the UV light add-on that’s available for it.

It’s also a water filtration system that can be remotely controlled by a smart device and it requires little to no maintenance. 

This is due to its air injection design that even allows an excellent 12 GPM water flow through it during the filtration process.

It can also be used to effectively enhance even poor-quality water that comes into your house from a well.

Main Features and Benefits

Coliform Removal Treatment Method:

The UV add-on that is available with this water filtration system is what makes it very impactful (kills 99.9%) when it comes to treating coliform bacteria. 

When the incoming water into your household passes through the UV light rays that this device emits, it alters the coliforms present in that water and renders them ineffective at causing illness.

Other Contaminants it Removes:

One of the biggest benefits of this water filtration setup is that it will do much more than render the coliform bacteria in your tap water harmless. It features several stages of filtration that will remove or reduce sediment, iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide.

Whole-House or Point of Use System:

This system is a whole house filter and will treat 100% of the water that comes into your home through your well or municipal water line. That should result in 99% of the bacteria in your tap water being rendered ineffective before it comes out of taps or faucets. 

Ease of Installation & Maintenance:

Whole house filtration systems are not always easy to set up. That’s because they need to tap into your home’s incoming water. So, most likely this system will need to be professionally installed for you.

Operation of this bacterial treatment filtration system is made easier through the use of its Bluetooth control head that can be remotely controlled by any smart device and it’s designed to be almost entirely maintenance-free.

Price:

This treatment system for coliform bacteria works great but it’s not what most would consider a budget-friendly option, especially once you purchase the expensive bacteria altering add-on. Once installed, it’s very inexpensive to operate. 

Warranties/Guarantees:

You get much peace of mind when purchasing this tap water bacteria treatment system. That’s because it’s backed up by a lifetime warranty and a 6-month money-back satisfaction guarantee.

Pros:

• Maintenance-free
• Excellent lifespan
• UV light add-on
• Generous 12 GPM flow rate
• 6-month money-back guarantee
• Lifetime warranty
• Air Injection oxidizing process
• Bluetooth interface
• Free shipping
• Available in a larger size model

Cons:

• Expensive Initial Cost
• May need a plumber to help install
• Pricey UV add-on required to treat Bacteria

---

#2 Viqua D4 Premium

Here is another UV light-based coliform bacteria treatment device. It will effectively inactivate almost all of the bacteria in your incoming tap water that passes through it along with many viruses, protozoa, and other pathogens.

At 9 to 12-gallons per minute of water flow, it won’t affect the pressure in showers and sinks either. It’s also a very durable bacteria removal device because it’s made using corrosion-resistant stainless steel.

This system also comes with a separate LCD backlit programmable controller and it’s a safe system to use. Because it only uses a small amount of electricity and has no filters that need to be replaced and thrown away, this bacteria treatment device is also very eco-friendly.

Main Features and Benefits

Coliform Removal Treatment Method:

As was mentioned, this product features a UV light-based system that penetrates the cell membranes of all types of bacteria and alters them in a way that renders them ineffective at causing illness. It will effectively inactivate 99.9% of all the bacteria in your incoming tap water that passes through it along with many viruses, protozoa, and other pathogens.

Other Contaminants it Removes:

Unfortunately, UV Light water disinfection is very one-dimensional unless paired with an entire whole-house water system like the SpringWell model above that occupies the top spot on our countdown.   

Whole-House or Point of Use System:

This is a whole-house water treatment unit. So not only will your drinking water be free from having possibly dangerous bacteria in it when it comes out of your kitchen faucet, the tapes in your bathrooms, laundry room sinks, and outdoor spigots will also provide bacteria-free tap water. It Can be used as a point-of-use system but is overkill for that.

Ease of Installation & Maintenance:

The setup of the Viqua D4 Premium is very straightforward but you may want to have it professionally done, This is because it needs an electrical connection and has to be spliced into the main water line.

This is also a true set-it-and-forget-it water coliform bacteria treatment system. That’s because it automatically operates when the power to the unit is on and it needs absolutely zero maintenance after it has been installed.

Price:

This is a stand-alone device for removing the threat of bacteria in your water that is very reasonably priced for the health protection it will give you and your family. It costs very little to operate once it has been installed except for a small amount of electricity. 

Warranties/Guarantees:

The warranties that come with this product are kind of middle of the road in my opinion. These are a 10-year limited warranty for VIQUA UV Chamber, a 3-year limited warranty for electrical and components and hardware, and a 1-year limited warranty for lamps, sleeves, and UV sensors.

Pros:

• Renders Ineffective 99.9% of Coliforms
• Eco-friendly
• Safe to Use
• Good 9-12 GPM water flow
• Made of durable and corrosion-resistant stainless steel
• LCD backlit programmable controller

Cons:

• Cannot be used on a hot water plumbing line
• Only targets bacteria and other pathogens
• Probably needs professional installation
• Pricey for a device that only impacts pathogens in tap water

---

#3 Big Berkey Gravity Filter

Here is a very popular countertop gravity-style water filter that averages a very high review score even after thousands of reviews have been written on it. 

It features a good-looking all stainless-steel casing and it will slowly produce and store some 2.25 gallons of purified drinking water.

It features surprisingly effective filtration, has a long filter cartridge lifespan, is backed up by a great warranty, and has been subjected to rigorous 3^rd-party testing (None of these have provided more coveted NSF/ANSI certifications).

Those in California are not able to purchase these impactful coliform bacteria removing water filters at this time. That is explained better here in our article that reviews several Berkey water filter models.

Main Features and Benefits

Coliform Removal Treatment Method:

This popular water filter has two very advanced multi-stage filter cartridges inside of it and one section in each of those cartridges has a small enough pore size to remove 99.9% of the coliform bacteria that passes through it.

Other Contaminants it Removes:

When you have a glass of water that has been enhanced by this excellent water filtration device, you can expect it to be among the purest glasses of water that you have ever had. That’s because the manufacturer claims that its filter cartridges will remove some 232 different contaminants from tap water.

This includes chloramine, trihalomethanes, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and many heavy metals.  

Whole House or Point of Use System:

The Big Berkey Water Filter is also a point-of-use water filtration device. Since it needs to be filled by hand, it’s best placed fairly close to the kitchen sink. That will make it much less tedious when it comes to producing greatly enhanced tap water for your family to drink and cook with.

Ease of Installation & Maintenance:

There are literally only 4-parts and 5-minutes of time involved when it comes to setting this popular water filtration system up. Since it needs to be filled by hand, it’s best placed fairly close to the kitchen sink. Once you fill it. This water filter does all the rest from there. Periodic filter cartridge changes and cleaning are the only maintenance that it requires.

Price:

I don’t consider this product that will remove almost 100% of the bacteria that passes through it to be expensive. Operating costs for it will only consist of yearly filter membrane replacements.

Warranties/Guarantees:

Considering this is among the priciest countertop water filtration systems that you can buy, the fact that it comes with a lifetime warranty will give you some great peace of mind when making that purchase.

Pros:

• 232 contaminants removed
• Long filter lifespan
• 2.25-gallon capacity
• Extensive independent testing
• Good value for the price
• Optional stand for mounting
• Optional fluoride filter to remove even more
• Stainless steel casing
• Can get it equipped with 4 filters instead of two – filters last longer and work faster
• Lifetime warranty
• 4.7 out of 5-star rating with 1,675 reviews

Cons:

• Slow filtration rate
• Pricey replacement filter cartridges
• Takes up counter space
• Not available for purchase in California

---

#4 Waterwise 4000 Water Distiller

Here is a water distillation device that is very effective at removing coliform bacteria and other pathogens. It also has added carbon block filtration to help eliminate sediment and other water contaminants. 

This effective filtration combination makes it worth the 4-hour wait to get the gallon of highly purified water it produces during a distillation cycle.

It’s also one of the simplest coliform bacteria treatment devices to set up and use. Everything that you need to make highly purified tap water comes right in the box including the tempered glass water holding jug. 

Other highlight features are its safety-enhancing automatic cutoff switch and its durable stainless-steel condenser.

Main Features and Benefits

Coliform Removal Treatment Method:

This coliform bacteria removal product uses a combination of distillation and carbon block filtration to do its job. Distillation is a time-tested method that has been proven very effective at eliminating bacteria contamination in drinking water.

Other Contaminants it Removes:

There is a pretty lengthy list of other contaminants in tap water that this device will eliminate besides coliform bacteria. This includes arsenic, aluminum, chloride, lead, chlorine, nitrates, chloroform, copper, fluoride, mercury, sodium, sulfate, viruses, and other pathogens.

Whole House or Point of Use System:

The Waterwise 4000 Water Distiller is only meant to be used as a point of use coliform bacteria removal device. With its slow water purification speed, it does not even come close to providing any type of whole-house bacteria removal option.

Ease of Installation & Maintenance:

This is by far the easiest of the products on our best filters for coliform bacteria to set up and use. You just plug it in, set the included glass container under the spout, turn it on and wait.

Maintenance with this coliform bacteria removal device includes nothing more than an occasional cleaning and a periodic carbon block filter change.

Price:

This is another very reasonably priced option when it comes to eliminating the threat that having bacteria in your tap water poses. The operating costs come from the high amount of energy needed to produce the extreme heat that makes the distillation process work.

Warranties/Guarantees:

There is nothing special about the warranty that comes with the Waterwise 4000 Water Distiller. It’s backed up by a very basic 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty.

Pros:

• Removes almost 100% of coliform bacteria
• Several other tap water contaminants removed too
• Quick setup
• Included glass water jug
• Strong stainless-steel condenser
• Automatic shutoff

Cons:

• Small 1-gallon capacity that takes 4-hours to produce
• Takes up counter space
• No impurities removed with a lower boiling point than water
• Short 1-year limited warranty
• Manual filling required

---

#5 Waterdrop G3 Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

There is a lot more to like about this countertop/under-sink reverse osmosis water filter than just its ability to remove a majority of the bacteria that passes through it.

That includes it being a simple setup that just about anyone can install and the fact that it produces instant filtered water at a reasonable flow rate. 

Its advanced 7-stage filtration system which will eliminate hundreds of impurities from your tap water and it takes very little maintenance to keep it performing optimally is very appealing.

It also has a space-saving design, produces less wastewater than typical RO systems, its tankless design generates safe drinking water at a generous 0.27 GPM flow rate (you can fill a cup of water in about 12 seconds), and it works effectively on decent to already good quality tap water.

Main Features and Benefits

Coliform Removal Treatment Method:

Reverse osmosis systems like the Waterdrop G3 uses is among the most effective methods for coliform bacteria removal. It can filter out bacteria that are as small as 1-micron in size and most coliform bacteria fit into this category.

Other Contaminants it Removes:

Not only will this model water filtration system do a nice job of eliminating bacteria from your tap water but its 7-stage filtration will help remove other contaminants too. This includes removing chlorine, sand, heavy metals, solids, viruses, and it even helps eliminate limescale problems.

Whole House or Point of Use System:

This will not treat 100% of the water that comes into your home. It is only meant to remove bacteria from the tap water that you drink. That means it works best when placed on the countertop next to your kitchen sink or in the space underneath it.

Ease of Installation & Maintenance:

Just about anyone with even a minimal amount of mechanical aptitude can set this reverse osmosis system up. It’s self-filling and simple to operate too.

Although this system takes a little work because its filters need periodic replacing, this is easy to do and each filter lasts a decent amount of time. 

This includes lifespans of 6 months for its carbon block sediment filter, 12 months for its enhanced activated carbon filter, and its bacteria-catching RO filter lasts 2-years.

Price:

This may seem like a lot of money to pay for a countertop or under-sink bacteria removal device but it’s very effective at what it does for that price. Yearly filter replacements and a small amount of electricity for the controls are its only operating costs.

Warranties/Guarantees:

There is nothing special about the warranty that comes with the Waterdrop G3 Reverse Osmosis Filter System as it is only covered for a period of 1-year. Its 30-day no-worries return guarantee will give you some peace of mind when purchasing it.

Pros:

• Tankless
• 400 GPD capacity
• 1:1 Wastewater ratio
• 7-stage filtration
• Space-saving design
• Smart filter technology
• Filters other water contaminants
• Simple installation and straightforward maintenance
• Comes with NSF 58 & 372 certified

Cons:

• No water remineralization
• Slightly high initial cost
• Requires electrical connection
• Only upright placement
• Short 1-year warranty

---

Coliform Water Filter Buyers Guide

What Are Coliform Bacteria?

It’s no secret that bacteria are found everywhere in our environment and that often includes the tap water that comes into your home too. Even our bodies produce some necessary forms of bacteria.

One common misconception about coliforms is that all forms of them are dangerous. The exact opposite is true. Many forms of it are either harmless or beneficial.

Most of the coliform bacteria found in our bodies are good and exist in our digestive tract to help break down carbohydrates (into sugars) and make an impact on other toxins found in the body. They are also critical when it comes to helping the body absorb essential fatty acids.

Good bacteria in our bodies also help to protect our skin layers and assist our respiratory system stay healthy. There are, however, a few forms of bacteria that can make us very sick if we are not careful with the food that we eat and the water that we drink.

The biggest example of this is the Escherichia coli (E. coli) family of bacteria and even more specifically the most common type of E. coli bacteria that causes health concerns, E. coli O157:H7. 

Bad forms of coliforms, along with parasites, microbes, and viruses, are pathogens that are known to cause disease and pose other health risks.

coliforms are made up of a broad subset of bacteria. Of these are what is known as total coliform bacteria. Again, it’s important to emphasize that a large majority of coliform bacteria are harmless or beneficial.

Total coliforms are all of the different bacteria that are found in the environment. This consists of non-fecal bacteria (which comes from plant and soil sources) and fecal coliform bacteria (originates in human and animal fecal matter). 

Fecal coliforms have further subsets such as highly concerning E. coli bacteria.

What are the Health Issues with Coliform Bacteria?

So why should you strongly consider taking steps to remove or inactivate coliforms in your tap water? It’s because of the health concerns that come along with the presence of E. coli. Several illnesses are associated with E. coli 0157:H7 buildup in the human body.

E. coli 0157:H7 is different from other forms of E. coli because it produces a powerful toxin that can cause severe illness. This includes:

• Severe abdominal area cramping
• Non-bloody diarrhea
• Severe bloody diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Urinary tract infections
• Anemia
• Kidney failure
• Pneumonia

Polio, hepatitis, and dysentery are often associated with conditions where E. coli bacteria are present too. Some of these can eventually become life-threatening and/or lead to long-lasting health issues.

How Does Coliform Bacteria Get into Water?

As was mentioned, forms of coliform bacteria originally manifest themselves through natural processes in soil and plants or come from the fecal matter of warm-blooded animals such as man or animals.

Runoff from heavy rains on farmland, human sewage treatment plants, septic system leaks, a septic system weeping bed being located too close to wells, and other natural and man-made events can cause coliform bacteria contaminations in surface water and well water sources. 

Although most well water supply sources are somewhat protected by natural filtration processes, fractures in water filtering bedrock layers, poorly-sealed well caps, cracked well casings, and groundwater runoff into sinkholes can all cause your well water to become contaminated with coliforms.

How Can You Test Your Water for Coliform Bacteria?

Fortunately, the presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water can be detected very easily by having a sample of your water tested.

There are three main conditions that these water sample tests will look for depending on their sophistication. They are:

1. Testing for total coliforms

You must be aware that testing for total coliform bacteria is not a good way to tell if your tap water is safe or unsafe to drink. 

Rather, the presence of total coliform in your tap water suggests that there is a pathway for harmful pathogens to get in your well or other water source and further testing should be done.

2. Testing for fecal coliform bacteria

This type of test will indicate whether or not your well-sourced or municipal-fed water has bacteria that originate from humans and warm blooded animals in it. 

If the test is positive for fecal matter from warm blooded animals, then further tests will most likely be done to try and detect the presence of more harmful E. coli bacteria in your drinking water. 

3. Testing for the presence of E. coli bacteria

It’s not surprising that tests for E. coli bacteria exist. Many people refer to it as the most-studied living organism on the planet. If E. coli is detected in your tap water it indicates not only that it’s contaminated with fecal matter but that your tap water may be harmful to drink.

There are two ways that you can test to see if you have bacteria in your water. They include:

• At-Home Tests

You can test at home for the presence of bacteria in your tap water. Keep in mind though that with these tests you will not be able to tell the types of coliforms that are present.

That’s why these tests are best used to periodically test your tap water for bacteria. 

The New York State Department of Health suggests that testing well water for the presence of bacteria should be done at least once a year and that sentiment is backed up by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

It’s also a great idea to test the water from your newly installed well after a repair has been made or if you receive news that your neighbors’ wells have tested positive for the presence of bacteria.

If you have municipal water, it’s monitored regularly to make sure that it’s within acceptable levels for bacteria. So, you would probably not test it regularly, maybe only if a family member is sick with the above-mentioned E. coli-related symptoms.

Some good at-home test kits to detect the presence of bacteria in your household water are Varify’s 17 in 1 Premium Drinking Water Test Kit and the iQ.BAC COLI water test kit. 

• Laboratory Analysis

This is the absolute best way to find out not only if you have bacteria present in your tap water but also what type of bacteria that is. Keep in mind that this will be somewhat expensive too. That’s why you may want to do an at-home test to detect the presence of bacteria in your tap water first.

A good test kit that allows you to take a water sample and send it in to be tested for total coliforms is this Safe Home® SELECT Water Quality Test Kit.

Again, laboratory analysis is the best way to tell if it is truly E. coli bacteria residing in your well or city-supplied household water source.

You can get more helpful advice on testing your tap water for the presence of coliform bacteria by referring to this article of ours that’s dedicated to this subject. 

Which Kinds of Water Filters Remove Bacteria?

Keep in mind that although the EPA has set the recommended standard for coliforms in drinking water at zero, there are few means available to homeowners that would be practical or affordable for achieving that.

That’s why many manufacturers choose to use coliform treatment methods that will keep this bacteria level at 5 CFU (colony forming unit) per 100ml of water or less. A figure that is considered to make a water source safe to drink.

Here are the best devices when it comes to significantly reducing the threat of getting sick from bacteria in your incoming tap water:

• Reverse Osmosis Filtration

Although you can’t see coliforms in a sample of tap water, these bacteria are not so tiny in size that they can’t be filtered out. 

You will, however, need a water filtration system with a membrane-type microfilter that has an extremely small pore size (the CDC recommends 1 micron or less) to accomplish this.

These are most typically found in the best reverse osmosis water filtration devices. A reverse osmosis membrane has a small enough pore size that fecal bacteria cannot pass through it. .

Normal activated carbon block water filters with larger pore sizes, which are very common in household water filtration systems, simply will not do the trick when it comes to keeping you safe from coliform bacteria and E. coli.

• UV Light Treatment

Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to remove fecal coliform to have safe drinking water. Before you raise your eyebrows, hear me out. You can also treat the tap water that comes into your home by passing it through specialized UV light-emitting devices.

These will not remove coliform bacteria from your tap water but the UV light rays will penetrate into the bacteria and alter its cellular properties so it will no longer pose a health risk to you and your family. This is why having a UV filter is so highly recommended.     

• Boiling/Distillation

There are some other ways that you can prevent exposure to the possible adverse health effects that having coliform in your tap water presents. One is by boiling all of the water that you drink but this will also be very time-consuming and use up a significant amount of energy for sure.

Distillation takes this process one step further and eliminates any contaminants in drinking water that have higher boiling points than water. This again is slightly time-consuming and removes beneficial minerals in tap water too.

FAQs

Here are some questions about bacteria in tap water that I get asked regularly:

Why Can’t Normal Filters Remove Bacteria from Water?

Reverse osmosis filters have an extremely small pore size of around 1 micron (most bacteria are between 1 and 2 microns in size). That’s how these filters can remove a large percentage of bacteria from tap water.

More normal filters found in water filtration devices feature pore sizes that range from 5-microns are bigger, so they are ineffective at removing potentially harmful bacteria.

How Can I Make Sure My Water Filter Removes E-Coli and Other Fecal Bacteria?

There are a few ways that you can do this. One is by thoroughly checking the manufacturer’s supplied information on the package of the filter, on their product’s online description, or by calling their customer service directly and asking them.

The very best way to do this is with home or lab water testing of your tap water after it’s been filtered or treated. The problem here is that you will have already purchased your new coliform bacteria removing water filtration device.

How Can I Make Sure My Well Water Is Free of Harmful Bacteria and Clean to Drink?

Refer to the section above in the buying guide titled ‘How Can You Test Your Water for Coliform Bacteria?’. Testing is the only sure way to confirm the presence of bacteria in your tap water.

Some Final Thoughts on Coliform Bacteria Removal

Without a doubt, the presence of bacteria in your tap water can be alarming. You can avoid ever having to worry about this by installing any of the water filtration devices that we reviewed here.

Some of these types of water filtering or treating devices can be a little pricey but then again that’s nothing compared to even the health insurance deductibles you may pay if you or a family member are impacted by a harmful strain of E coli.

The presence of bacteria in tap water is always a threat to you and your family and testing for it on something like a monthly basis is impractical because of the time you will spend doing it and the cost involved.

So, it’s better to strongly consider adding a treatment option for bacteria on your water line such as a UV light-emitting device or a good reverse osmosis filter. These are both low maintenance options and cost very little to operate once they have been installed.