Most consumers use some type of “Barrier-Filtration” method of water purification.

Barrier-Filtration Purification Processes

In the case of a biological contamination incident, the incoming water, the pipes, and the surface of the barrier become contaminated.  This renders the barrier system unreliable and unusable for the following reasons:

• The barrier is under high water pressure
• The barrier may be inefficient in eliminating the contaminant.
• There may be bacteria-creep through the barrier and into the filtered water
• The barrier itself as the seals may fail, thus letting biological contaminants through and you would not know when it is too late.

In the case of steam-distillation the result would be much different.

Steam Distillation Process
If there is a distiller in use on the same contaminated water the result is quite different.

The water and the pipes are contaminated as is the water in the boiling chamber of the distiller. 

The distiller has four features to protect the user of the steam-distilled water:

• The raw water undergoes prolonged boiling
• There is a liquid to vapor phase change (steam lifts away from the contaminants.)
• The system has a built in air-gap
• The barrier itself and/or the seals holding the filter, may fail, thus letting biological contaminants through. You would not know this until after you, and/or your family were exposed.