Water Filter – Specifications and Constraints

My goal for this project is to create a functional and inviting water filter for me and my housemates to filter municipal tap water before consumption. In order to meet this goal, I would like my water filter to meet the following 5 specifications:

• Easy to dispense water from: Generally, the device should be intuitive to use, and it should be easy to operate the spout to dispense water from the filter. I hope to accomplish this by having the spout on the front face of the filter with an obvious place to put a water bottle/glass underneath it.
• Easy to refill: The funnel at the top of the filter should be stable, water-tight, and easy to pour tap water into. I fear that this will be the biggest challenge of the project.
• Beautiful: I want this project to decorate the space it is in. I plan on doing this through combining aesthetically pleasing raw materials (glass, metal, and wood) with elegant design. A reminder of my planned design is attached below.

• Thought provoking/educational: This device will likely invoke curiosity in passersby, which inevitably will be met with some explanation of tap water contaminants and how to remove them. I hope that this device inspires others to further research the water they drink and invest in water filters or in creating DIY water filters.
• Original: I haven’t seen other projects like this one before, especially not combining the aesthetic and practical features like I am doing. Because of this, I have an opportunity to create something that is quite unique. I hope to lean into this in order to make something that is truly an installation.

I am also setting the following 5 constraints for myself:

• Functional: The most important constraint is that the filter works, which I define as (1) not leaking water and (2) delivering clean water at (3) a respectable flow rate. Not leaking water will likely be the one of the biggest challenges overall with this project. The piping (seen below) will be a critical component of the functionality.

• Made from non-leaching materials (that fit my aesthetic): While there is some question about the significance of microplastics in water, my personal goal is for the water in this filter to not come in contact with plastic after entering the inlet pipe. I will likely have to use a few small zip-ties for fixing the pipes onto the stand and funnel, but these won’t come in contact with the water. Also, I plan to use small, black zip-ties so they are hard to notice and fit the overall aesthetic.Closeup of brass valve
• Skills: I have very little experience working with water tight piping, and am my supplies are limited because I have to order them online. This means that I had to make a lot of assumptions when making my order, and will likely have to make adjustments in order to make the parts I ordered work.
• Supplies: I wasn’t able to buy Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) based on volume, only weight, and GAC density values vary drastically so it was difficult to make my order based on a desired volume. The GAC that arrived is somewhat smaller than I expected, and this will now become a constraint which may affect the size of glass jar that I purchase.

  

• Easily take-apart-able for cleaning/maintenance: Even chlorinated tap water is can host microbial growth, and this filter will (hopefully) filter the chlorine out of the water. Therefore, it is important that I can take this filter apart and clean any potential biofilms off of the individual components.