How much does DI Water Cost Per Gallon?

Deionized Water

Introduction

The cost of deionized water can vary depending on several factors such as the source, quantity, and location. In general, deionized water is more expensive than regular tap water because it undergoes a purification process to remove ions and minerals. Let’s get to the bottom of how much it costs per gallon.

On average, the cost of deionized water can range from $0.50 to $5.00 per gallon. However, the cost may be higher if you purchase smaller quantities or if you live in an area where deionized water is not readily available.

It's also worth noting that some suppliers may offer discounts for bulk purchases, so it's always a good idea to shop around and compare prices before making a purchase.

Now if you want to make the DI water yourself, it is much cheaper in the end. Let’s try to investigate how much 1 gallon of water costs with a specific portable deionizer machine with water supplied in Santee, California.

Portable DI Water System Costs

Machine: On The Go Spotless Portable Dual Bed Deionizer

Price: $395

But let’s just consider the cost per gallon after purchasing the machine which will come down to the cost of resin.

The machine is rated to give about 460 gallons of water per resin pack when the water is originally at a TDS level of 250 PPM.

According to this website: https://www.portablewaterdi.com/shop/refill-kits/dual-bed-standard-refill-kit---single-refill?SKU=OTG2-DDI-REF1

A single refill will cost you about $112 before tax and shipping

So for 460 gallons it is about 24 cents per gallon

Cost of Water Per Gallon in Santee, California

The cost of water in Santee as of January 1st, 2023 for Commercial water rates is $7.78 for 748 gallons or about 1 cent per gallon

Cost of Electricity for Portable DI Water Filter

Electricity will be basically negligible for powering this portable DI filter.

The Bottom Line…

So it is about 25 cents per gallon of water to use this portable deionized water system in Santee, California for mobile detailing, washing, house washing, etc..

If you want to get into costs of a much more complicated system, this resource has some good information:

Overall you save even more with a higher end DI water filtration system, but even for a portable DI system it’s still relatively affordable at 25 cents per gallon. To do a whole vehicle takes about 10-15 gallons of water with rinsing the vehicle twice. This would equate to $2.50 to $3.75 per vehicle in DI water costs.