The jug comes with a cartridge year. In fact, there are 12. The precise documentation that each cartridge has to be changed after 4 weeks. 12 x 4 weeks = 48 weeks, short, catchy marketing pitch but wrong (as with marketing often say to me ;-) But all this does not matter, the pitcher is stable, the handling is easy. I take one more star for the simple minded who designed valve that closes itself DURING filling the hours of laughter in the whole household!