Point of Use (POU) or Point of Entry (POE)?

Do you ever get confused about all the different types of water filtration systems and which one you should use? Well don’t worry. We can help eliminate some of that confusion. Here are some things you should know to help you understand more about water filtration. There are essentially only two principle locations for installing water treatment systems. Which of the two systems you need depends upon what you hope to accomplish. One is Point-of-Entry water treatment (POE), the other is Point-of-Use water treatment (POU). What’s the difference? Picture the water supply where your local municipality or other supplier delivers water to your house, office building, factory, plant or other facility. At the point where the supply enters the building, it’s connected to a water meter. Your side of the meter is your responsibility and expense. You might be stuck with the water as delivered, but you don’t have to like it or settle for its quality (or lack of quality). There are a lot of POE and POU systems that can help you improve the quality of water before you drink it, cook with it or bathe with it. A Point-of-Entry water treatment system is installed on your side of the meter with the express purpose of treating all of the incoming water before it goes into the individual supply lines that feed your laundry, bathrooms (including toilets), dedicated outside faucets and others as well as your kitchen. POE systems often include softeners, large bed carbon filters, and some systems which are specifically designed to remove (or trap) sediment, foul tastes and odors. POE systems are sometimes considered pre-filters. A Point-of-Use water treatment system is installed in an individual source line ahead of any or all of the building’s taps, faucets or other dedicated outlets used to dispense water for drinking, cooking or bathing. Good POU systems are often expected to capture whatever escapes the POE system.