Modern guide to distilled water: how it works, common uses, and the business reality

Steam distillation converts water to steam and re-condenses it to remove most dissolved minerals, producing low-TDS water used in labs, medical devices, and certain industrial applications. Distilled water is safe to drink but lacks minerals and often sells as a niche, low-margin product; many producers offer it as a secondary service due to packaging and distribution costs.

How distillation works

The simplest and most widely used household method is steam (evaporative) distillation: heat water until it turns to steam, then cool the steam so it condenses back into liquid in a separate container. This process leaves most dissolved minerals, salts, and many nonvolatile impurities behind in the boiling chamber.

Commercial operations may use multi-stage or vacuum distillation, while other purification technologies - reverse osmosis (RO) and ion exchange (deionization) - are common alternatives depending on scale and target contaminants.

What distilled water actually is

Distilled water is water that has been condensed from steam after boiling, so it contains very low levels of dissolved solids (minerals and salts). It is not chemically different from pure water (H2O), but in practice "distilled" means the total dissolved solids (TDS) are reduced close to zero. Some volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can carry over in steam unless the system includes carbon filters or other safeguards.

Common uses

• Laboratory and clinical work where predictable, low-mineral water is required.

• Medical devices and instruments (sterilizers, some humidifiers, CPAP machines) to reduce scale and deposits.

• Lead-acid battery maintenance and some industrial processes that are sensitive to mineral content.

• Specific animal-care or scientific applications that require water with minimal dissolved solids.

Taste and health

Distilled water tastes "flat" to some people because it lacks the minerals present in most tap or spring water. Drinking distilled water is safe for most people, but it does not provide dietary minerals (calcium, magnesium) that other sources do. For normal hydration needs, most public-health guidance emphasizes safe drinking water overall rather than a requirement for distilled water.

The business reality of producing distilled water

Distilled water is a relatively low-margin product. Retail single-gallon jugs of distilled water commonly sell at modest prices, and many producers treat distillation as a niche or secondary offering alongside bottled drinking water or industrial services. Packaging, transport, and retail distribution add significant costs, so producers often use distilled water as a value-added service or a byproduct stream rather than a primary profit center.

Bottled water overall has grown as a market category, but distilled water remains a specialized segment within that market. ¹

Bottom line

Steam distillation is a reliable way to remove most dissolved minerals and produce low-TDS water. It is valuable for laboratories, some medical and industrial uses, and select animal-care situations. For general drinking purposes, personal preference and nutritional context determine whether distilled water is the right choice.

1. Confirm current typical retail price range for single-gallon jugs of distilled water in the U.S.
2. Verify recent market data on bottled water category growth versus the distilled-water segment size