Bottled water delivery, or filtered water from your tap?

An honest comparison of the two ways to get better drinking water at home in Barcelona — what each costs, what each takes up, and when delivery is genuinely the better choice.

An unbranded floor-standing water dispenser with three large bottles taking up floor space in a kitchen

Delivery

The compact Oasly reverse osmosis unit installed inside a kitchen cabinet under the sink

Oasly

Left: a dispenser and its bottles on the kitchen floor. Right: the Oasly unit under the sink.

Delivery service vs. filtration at the tap

The difference is architecture: water that is stored and transported, versus water that is filtered on demand where you drink it. Here is how the two compare, row by row.

Where the water comes from

Delivery

Purified and bottled at a plant, then transported to your door

Oasly

Your own mains supply, filtered at the point of use

Freshness

Delivery

Sits in a plastic bottle at room temperature, typically a month between deliveries

Oasly

Filtered the moment you open the tap — nothing is stored

Can you run out?

Delivery

Yes, between delivery cycles

Oasly

No

Floor space

Delivery

A dispenser, plus somewhere to keep full and empty bottles

Oasly

Under the sink. Nothing on the floor

Physical handling

Delivery

Lifting and inverting a 20 kg bottle each cycle

Oasly

None

Electricity

Delivery

Dispensers heat and cool continuously. Spanish consumer organisation OCU measured units of this type drawing roughly twice as much as a fridge (OCU, June 2025)

Oasly

About 85 W, and only while producing water

Minerals

Delivery

Varies by product

Oasly

Remineralised — calcium, magnesium and potassium restored, pH 7.5–9.5

Price transparency

Delivery

Typically quoted after a sales visit rather than published

Oasly

Published: €24.90/month, €249/year, or €629–€699 to buy

Commitment

Delivery

Varies by provider

Oasly

Cancel anytime

Delivery-service figures describe the category in general; terms vary by provider. We measure your TDS before and after installation and show you both numbers — output is typically 50–80 ppm TDS.

Common questions about the two options

When is a bottled water delivery service the better choice?

If you can't drill a hole for a second tap and your landlord won't allow a 3-way faucet; if there's no cold water connection near where you want to drink; if you want 90 °C water on tap without boiling a kettle; or if you're outside Barcelona, where we don't install. If any of those describe you, a delivery service is probably the better fit. We'd rather tell you now.

Is bottled water delivery or a filter cheaper?

It depends on how much you drink and on the quote you are given. Delivery pricing is usually arranged after a sales visit rather than published, so compare the total yearly figure. Our prices are published: €24.90 per month, €249 per year, or €629 to €699 to buy the unit outright.

How much space does a water dispenser take up?

A floor-standing dispenser occupies roughly the footprint of a small bin, and you also need somewhere to keep full bottles waiting to be used and empty ones waiting for collection. A point-of-use filter sits inside the sink cabinet instead, so nothing stands on the kitchen floor.

Do water dispensers use a lot of electricity?

They heat and cool water continuously, so they draw power around the clock. Spanish consumer organisation OCU measured units of this type drawing roughly twice as much as a fridge (OCU, June 2025). Our system uses about 85 W, and only while it is actually producing water.

What happens if I run out of bottled water?

You wait for the next delivery cycle, or you buy bottles at the supermarket to bridge the gap. Deliveries are typically monthly, so a heavier week can leave you short. Water filtered at the tap draws from your mains supply, so there is no cycle to run out of.

Can I install a water filter in a rented flat in Barcelona?

Often yes, but ask your landlord first. Installation means connecting to the cold-water feed and drain under the sink, and usually a dedicated faucet, which needs a hole in the worktop or sink. If drilling is not allowed, a delivery service is likely the better option for you.

Oasly Home tankless under-sink reverse osmosis unit with remineralization filter

Oasly Home

Limitless Hydration

Filtered, remineralised water. Straight from your tap.

Tankless, on demand
Alkaline remineralization
Free installation in Barcelona

Key specifications

Capacity
600 GPD
up to 2,270 litres a day
Output speed
10 seconds
to fill a 330 ml glass
Filtration
7 stages
across 3 cartridges
Drain ratio
2:1
roughly 6× less water to drain than a 1:3 system
Measured output
50–80 ppm
typical TDS, measured in your kitchen
Service
Free installation
and service in Barcelona
Oasly Home speed and water efficiency: fills a 330 ml glass in about 10 seconds, 600 GPD rated membrane, up to 2,270 litres a day, 2:1 filtered-to-drain ratio, no storage tank.
Filtered water pouring from a kitchen tap into a glass

Direct flow. No tank.

10 seconds

to fill a 330 ml glass

  • 2,270 litres a day

    600 GPD rated membrane

  • 2:1 filtered to drain

    roughly 6× less waste than a 1:3 system

How reverse osmosis works

Reverse osmosis is the same process used to bottle drinking water and to turn seawater into fresh water. It separates by scale.

An RO membrane is not a sieve with holes. It is a dense polymer film, rated at approximately 0.0001 micron. Water molecules cross it readily. Dissolved salts, metals and larger molecules cross far less readily — they are both physically larger and chemically less able to pass through the film.

Oasly seven-stage filtration: composite pre-filter, reverse osmosis membrane at 0.0001 micron, and alkaline remineralization filter.

Three cartridges. Seven stages.

Illustration of layered water filtration media

Illustrative. Filter media are housed inside sealed cartridges.

Tap water in ↓

Composite pre-filter

Sediment and carbon

Stages 1–3 · every 12 months

  1. 1Pleated sediment layerRust, sand and silt down to 5 µm
  2. 2Activated carbon blockChlorine, chloramine, taste and odour
  3. 3Carbon compound layerVOCs, trihalomethanes and organic residues

Reverse osmosis membrane

600 GPD

Stage 4 · every 24 months

  1. 4Reverse osmosis membraneA semi-permeable membrane with a pore size of 0.0001 micron — small enough to block dissolved solids

Remineralization filter

Alkaline and minerals

Stages 5–7 · every 12 months

  1. 5Alkaline mediaRaises pH back to 7.5–9.5
  2. 6Mineral restorationAdds calcium, magnesium and potassium
  3. 7Post-carbon polishFinal taste polish before the tap

Filtered, remineralised water out ↓

Stage counts describe the filtration layers inside each cartridge. Replacement intervals assume typical Barcelona mains water and normal household use.

Reference table of typical particle sizes, from a human hair at 70 microns down to the 0.0001 micron rating of a reverse osmosis membrane.
Macro photograph of a water droplet

Typical particle sizes

  • Human hair70 µm
  • Cysts such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium3–15 µm
  • Bacteria and microplastic fragments0.5–5 µm
  • Viruses0.02–0.4 µm
  • Dissolved salts and metal ionsaround 0.001 µm
  • RO membrane rating0.0001 µm

This is why reverse osmosis is used in applications where water purity matters most.

Particle sizes above are typical published ranges for reference. How much any individual system reduces a given substance depends on the unit, the incoming water and the age of the membrane. We're completing independent testing on our own unit with a Spanish accredited laboratory, and we'd rather publish those numbers than estimate.

What we actually measure

We measure the total dissolved solids in your tap water before installation, and again from the new tap afterwards. You see both numbers, taken in your own kitchen. Output is typically 50–80 ppm TDS — most of that is the calcium and magnesium the remineralisation filter adds back.

Independent laboratory testing of our specific unit is in progress with a Spanish accredited laboratory. We'd rather publish real numbers than estimates.

pH scale showing reverse osmosis water at pH 6.5 corrected by the remineralization filter to pH 7.5 to 9.5, with calcium, magnesium and potassium restored.

Alkaline adjustment

RO water on its own — pH 6.5

Oasly Home output — pH 7.5–9.5

5678910

pH SCALE — ACIDIC TO ALKALINE

Highest on a fresh cartridge, settling toward 7.5 over the year.

Ca²⁺

Calcium

Mg²⁺

Magnesium

K⁺

Potassium

Ionically activated minerals released by the remineralization cartridge, replaced once a year.

If you test it yourself

Straight out of the membrane, water measures about 6 mg/L. The remineralization filter then adds calcium, magnesium and potassium back, so a TDS pen typically reads 12–22 mg/L.

That higher number is the minerals we add back. It is what you want to see.

pH and TDS ranges are typical output values. Exact readings vary with incoming mains water and how recently the remineralization cartridge was replaced.

Why Choose Oasly

Health

Reverse osmosis with remineralisation — calcium, magnesium and potassium added back, at pH 7.5–9.5.

Taste

Activated carbon stages address chlorine taste and odour, with a balanced pH for smooth drinking.

Convenience

Unlimited water on demand, fills a glass in just 10 seconds. No more carrying heavy bottles.

Eco-Friendly

No plastic bottles, and a 2:1 filtered-to-drain ratio — roughly 6× less water sent to the drain than a conventional 1:3 system.

Cost-Effective

Just €0.68–0.83 per day for unlimited water, with no bottles to buy or carry.

Looked after

We handle installation, filter changes and servicing. You just drink the water.

Comparison table: Oasly Home tankless reverse osmosis versus a conventional tank RO system.

Oasly Home vs. tank system

Oasly HomeConventional tank RO

Under-sink footprint

Slim unit, no tank
Unit plus an 8–12 L pressure tank

Water sent to drain

2 parts filtered : 1 part drain
Around 1 part filtered : 3 drain

Water storage

None — filtered on demand
Sits in a bladder tank between uses

Plumbing

Integrated waterway, fewer joints
Multiple external lines and fittings

Filter removal

Twist out by hand, no tools
Housing wrench, often a plumber

Filter changes

We schedule and remind you
You track it yourself

Comparison figures for conventional systems are typical market values and vary by model.

We keep track of it for you

Filter changes, scheduled

We track the life of every filter and get in touch when one is due. You don't need to remember, monitor anything, or work out which cartridge it is.

Upgrades included

If we improve the system, subscribers get the upgrade at no extra cost.

A real person, on WhatsApp

Something not right? Message us and a technician answers — no ticket queue, no call centre.

Will it fit under your sink?

Installation requirements for the Oasly Home: cabinet space, 230 V socket, cold water feed, drain connection and a place for the tap.
Cabinet space

At least 45 × 45 × 45 cm clear. The Oasly Home measures 400 mm high, 380 mm deep, 140 mm wide, plus the remineralization filter beside it.

230 V socket

An earthed outlet under or near the sink. The system draws about 85 W only while it is producing water.

Cold water feed

A standard kitchen shut-off valve on the cold supply. Mains pressure 1.4–5.5 bar, water temperature 4–38 °C. No extra plumbing work is needed in almost every Barcelona kitchen.

Drain connection

A saddle clamp fits onto the existing sink waste pipe. Nothing is cut or replaced.

A place for the tap

The standard Oasly faucet needs a 1.3 cm hole in the worktop. The 3-way faucet replaces your existing mixer tap.

Not sure it fits?

Send a photo of your under-sink cabinet on WhatsApp. We confirm before you book.

Message us on WhatsApp →

Faucet options

Standard Oasly faucet in brushed steel, dispensing filtered water

Standard Oasly faucet

Included free

Requires drilling a ~1.3 cm hole in the countertop

Three-way faucet in chrome, delivering filtered and regular water from one tap

3-way faucet upgrade

€79.90 add-on

Replaces your existing tap, delivering both filtered and regular water

Yours to keep

Choose Your Plan

Monthly Subscription

€24.90/month

€0.83/day

  • Installation: Included
  • Filter Changes: Included
  • Maintenance: Included
  • Relocation in BCN: Included
  • Deposit: None
Get Started
Best Value

Yearly Subscription

€249/year

€0.68/day

  • Installation: Included
  • Filter Changes: Included
  • Maintenance: Included
  • Relocation in BCN: Included
  • Deposit: None
Get Started

One-Time Purchase

€629 machine only

or €699 with installation in Barcelona

  • Installation: €699 with installation in Barcelona
  • Filter Changes: Customer purchases
  • Maintenance: Customer responsibility
  • Relocation in BCN: Not included
  • Deposit: None
  • Ownership: Customer owns
Get Started

Warranty & Service

On subscription: service included

Installation, every filter change, servicing, leak checks and relocation within Barcelona are all included for as long as you subscribe. No call-out fees, no parts to buy.

On purchase: 3-year EU statutory warranty

Buy the system outright and it carries the standard Spanish and EU conformity guarantee — three years from delivery, covering manufacturing defects and system performance.

The detail, if you want it

Cost comparison · 5-year overview

Monthly, yearly or buy outright — what each option really costs you after 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years.

View →

Frequently Asked Questions

Product & Technology

Water Quality & Measurement

Installation & Requirements

Subscription & Pricing

Maintenance & Support

Service Area & Logistics

Health & Safety

Environmental Impact

Comparisons

Technical Troubleshooting

About Oasly

  • Main website: https://www.oasly.es
  • Online shop: https://oasly.shop
  • Product details: https://product.oasly.es
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