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Can Survivor Filter products remove TDS (total dissolved solids)?Updated 2 years ago

There are some misconceptions around TDS meters and we'd be happy to clear things up.

TDS isn’t the best measurement for water or to determine filter performance, unless the filter is designed only to do that specifically, such as an R.O system. TDS only states how much ionic compounds are dissolved in water, some of which (Calcium and Magnesium) are actually desirable for taste and beneficial.

Survivor Filter's portable filtration systems that utilize membrane filters such as the:

will not withhold dissolved solids, but will block bacteria, lead and heavy metals as their main function is for organic contaminants and pathogen removal in naturally occurring water. Hence, our bacteria, staph and viral tests are tested to NSF/ANSI certification standards for food equipment. We've also tested for protozoa, cyst reduction, which is really the biggest water dangers. We reached log 5 (99.999%) reduction, which is the best that you could hope for with these types of devices.

Performing a TDS Meter Test

If you were to use a TDS meter to test how safe a filter is and if the filter is a pure carbon filter (Brita), it may show a large reduction in TDS, but it that doesn't tell you if the pathogens inside still contain lead, bacteria or parasites. For example, a pitcher filter may reduce chlorine by 30% on average and will show a reduction in TDS by 30%. However, if you use the same pitcher filter on contaminated water, it provides no protection against parasites, bacteria or heavy metals.

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