Pet water bowl tank

A method of dispensing filtered water to a pet including:

• providing an apparatus including:
• a base;
• a reserve basin and a dispensing basin formed in the base;
• a tank seated on the base and fluidly coupled to the reserve basin;
• a buoyant stopper positioned in the dispensing basin;
• and
• a filter disposed a filter disposed along a flow path extending from the tank to the stopper;
• a rim coupled to the dispensing basin, the rim having an annular ridge with an inner circumference smaller than an outer circumference of the stopper;
• allowing water to gravity-feed from the tank into the reserve basin;
• allowing the water to flow through the filter from the reserve basin into the dispensing basin;
• floating the stopper upward until the stopper contacts the rim and limits a maximum water height in the dispensing basin;
• depressing the stopper with a muzzle or tongue of a pet to expose water above the stopper and permit additional water flow into the dispensing basin;
• and
• automatically replenishing the water by admitting air into the tank when the reserve-basin level drops, whereby a fresh volume of water is delivered through the filter into the dispensing basin.

An apparatus including:

• a base;
• a removable bowl insert placed in the base, the removable bowl defining a reserve basin and a dispensing basin;
• a tank configured to supply water to the reserve basin;
• a buoyant stopper disposed within the dispensing basin;
• a flow path fluidly coupling the tank to the dispensing basin and the stopper;
• a filter disposed within the flow path;
• and
• a rim positioned at an upper portion of the dispensing basin, the rim including an annular ridge defining a central aperture, wherein the buoyant stopper is configured to float upward in response to a water level in the dispensing basin to engage the annular ridge, thereby capping the dispensing basin.