Yes, there are other options. Let's start with, "I definitely need something to filter my water..." Why?

Yep - the first question to answer is: What is it that you find objectionable? Taste? Color? Cloudiness? Impurities - if so, what? Without those answers no one can help you find a solution.

Ah okay. Well, fluoride for one Id like to not have in my water, I don't like the taste and always put something in it to make it palatable. Its clear and has no smell. I'm no expert but I do know many in my city complain about the bad water. It's hard but I know not all minerals are bad for us and depleting everything makes your water 'dead' and that isn't good either. That residue that is left on my hot water kettle, pots when boiling water and in my ice trays I'd like to remove but I don't know what that is.

Much of the taste and odor can be removed using a carbon filter.

To remove Fluoride you need reverse osmosis. Do you know if Fluoride is even added to your water?

How about giving us a link to your water supplier's water quality report. Google "Your water supplier" + Water Quality Report and give us the link.

Yes, fluoride is added, I think this is the link http://www.mesaaz.gov/home/showdocument?id=22017

"Dead" water - this notion is pure hokum. Perfectly pure water with nothing in it won't hurt you.

If you want to removed primarily fluoride, an aluminum oxide filter will remove some. Folks selling cartridges will tell you they remove 90%, but that is only with a 24 hour residence time. Reality is closer to 50% removal for a point-of-use system, closer to 80% in a slow-drip system.

Fluoride can be removed with RO, typically about 80-85% (RO is not as efficient at removing monovalent ions, such as Fluoride and chloride). An RO will remove 95-99% of most of the constituents in your water.

Distillaton: This will removed fluoride and all salts and minerals, but concentrate any volatiles and organics.

Deionization: Will remove Fluoride and all salts and minerals, but costly to own and maintain and won't remove organics and volatiles.

Your best two options are:

Install an RO. You can purchase one that has close to zero waste - the reject can be sent to your water heater or a catch basin for later use.

Purchase treated water.

Ok, So I'm going to go out on a limb here and say something you probably won't like: I suspect that much of what you think you know about water isn't correct. The "Dead water" comment was a clue.

There is a ton of misleading and unsound information about water that is designed to sell water treatment. I think that is the source of much of your information.

You can clean up the taste and odor in your water and reduce some of the trace chemicals by simply using a decent carbon filter. That is what I would suggest.

As for fluoride, I think that you are over-reacting to hype about fluoride that is baseless.

Note: As you look on your water quality reports it shows how much of a chemical is present compared to an EPA action level. Your Fluoride levels are average 0.5 ppm compared to an action level of 4 ppm.

I've said it before: We are really, really bad at assessing comparative risk. Smoking, sedentary lifestyle, not wearing a seat belt, texting while driving, excessive fast food, more than moderate alcohol consumption and owning a gun will shorten your lifespan much more reliably and at a much greater magnitude than 0.4 ppm of Fluoride in your water. Even that bag of microwaved popcorn you had last night has more spooky chemicals than anything coming out of your tap.

Hmm, okay. I am sort of a dork about health. While your whole list doesn't apply to me I do speed when I drive. I don't use fluoride toothpaste, nail polish with formaldehyde and certain lotions and soaps aren't used on my skin either. My follow up question then would be is there a system with a carbon filter or is it only pitchers like Brita and if so is Brita a good one or just common and therefore believe to be good? I don't care to have anything on my kitchen counter tops but I do have a walk in pantry I possibly could carve out a space for a system if they aren't under the sink tied into the water line type.

None of the pitcher-type filters remove fluoride. Only RO does, AFAIK.

For a pitcher-type filter, I think PUR is better than brita. Note that none of those kinds of filters work well when the water temp is over 75º, so unless you live in a consistently cold climate the water needs to be chilled at least part of the year.

ETA BTW, we don't have fluoride in the water here and after you've spent several thousands of dollars on crowns you may change your mind on that. I never had a bit of trouble with my teeth till I moved here and I just didn't consider what no fluoride really meant.

Yes, there are carbon filters other than the pitcher type.

I have recommended standard filter housings andstandard cartridge filters that can be easily replaced once a year for taste and odor.

I use a larger version of this on my cold water in my kitchen as well as cold water in the two bathroom sinks and the ice maker.

Again, I think the concern over Fluoride is misplaced, but I know I won't win that argument.

thanks, I'll see how these will work with my configuration and fridge. I appreciate everyone's input and help.

They do have fluoride filters. However, their reputation for defective filters is not good. Additionally, their filters require a very tight pH range (and a strange one, given the range where filtration media tends to work for fluoride removal).