On point of clarification. As far as I know the expobar machine purchased, has the little rechargeable water softener / filter cartridge fitted to the end of the intake pipe in its water reservoir. So for a salesman to recommend not to use rain water unless it is filtered, seems a little unreal. The particle filter is already there in the tank in the machine (as far as I know), and it is replaceable. In terms of other household (non coffee machine) use (as in most importantly, the "drinking fountain"), yes that is what my own filtration is geared for, & you could just as easily fill the coffee machine from the non drinking tap and allow the machine's filter to do the job, as long as you are prepared to replace it as necessary. Hope that helps.
