filteration vs water changes

[Lusus_Naturae]

You also need to figure in the associated costs with using each method. Most people running high end drip systems use them with a di/ro system to remove all impurities. You also should consider what to do with the drained water. Is it going into a yard, garden, down the drain? Is it going to add anything to your sewage bill? In comparison, you should look at the costs of running a sump with minimal/no drip, a large return pump, etc. At what point does one setup become a much better investment than the other?

Do places actually charge a sewage bill? Our water bill has a sewage section to it, but it's always default calculated by how much water we pull into the house - so even if we use the old tank water for the garden (which we do), we still pay the same 'sewage' rate. Kind of stinks we can't lower that section except by lowing our water usage.