Importance of Water Purifiers

Pollutants can enter drinking water through a number of sources. Even though the municipal corporation cleans the water making it suitable for drinking before releasing it, tap water within the home is not always reliable. Maintaining the huge water supply network of a city is a difficult task. Water pipes in this network leak, break and rust all the time in one place or another. Most residents prefer not to compromise on the quality of their drinking water. As a result most homes have some type of water purifier installed in them, typically on the water connection inside the kitchen.

The Water Purification Process

Boiling water or using ordinary activated carbon filter is not enough to make water safe for drinking. Harmful bacteria and virus cannot be seen with the naked eye and therefore clear water is not necessarily fit for drinking.

From the perspective of drinking water, water purification involves the following steps: Removal of suspended particles, algae, fungi, parasites, bacteria and virus. Finally the dissolved particulate matter is adjusted so that the purified drinking water is within the correct TDS and pH range.

Additional Filtration of Potable Water

The municipal corporation often converts very dirty water into tap water. This process is very complex and expensive, Being an industrial level filtration process, it is outside the scope of an individual. The primary concern of the resident is to further purify water supplied by the municipality to his home. This additional filtration ensures that any remaining harmful substances and contaminants present in tap water are removed making the water completely safe for drinking.

Key stages of Water Purification

• Stage 1 - Tap water passes through a pre-filter that removes chlorine content, sediment, dirt and other undissolved solids.

• Stage 2 - Next, this partly filtered water passes through a semi-permeable membrane that removes the dissolved contaminants such as micro-organisms, pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

• Stage 3 - Next, the water is passed through the RO membrane under pressure so that common chemical contaminants are removed and reduced. These common chemical contaminants being - metal ions, aqueous salts. Some examples of chemical contaminants that are removed: sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead. Some examples of chemical contaminants that are reduced: arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous.

• Stage 4 - Ultra Violet disinfection: The UV-Lamp provides a high powered UV light. When this UV light is passed through the water it deactivates any pathogens present by modifying their DNA so that the pathogens cannot multiply. These UV rays kill upto 99.9% of the harmful microorganisms present in the water.

Choosing the ideal Water Purifier for the Home

Different types of water purifiers are available in the market. Choosing the ideal water purifier for the home will depend upon the quality of tap water.

The more powerful water purifier uses "Reverse Osmosis", also known as "RO" technology.

Water Purifier for the Home

Water purifiers for the home are designed to have one or more of the above four stages of filtration. The simplest filter removes only the undissolved solids - sediment and dirt. A more efficient filter also removes dissolved contaminants. A more powerful filter will also use "Reverse Osmosis" where the additional RO membrance can also remove harmful metal ions including aqueous salts. The top of the line water purifier includes a powerful UV Lamp that deactivates any remaining pathogens in the filtered water.

Storage Tank Capacity of Water Purifier

Water filtration systems for the home come in different sizes - 5 litre, 10 litre, 15 litres and above capacity. The lower body of the system is the water tank where the filtered water is stored. It is prudent to choose a water purifier with adequate storage tank capacity so that drinking water is immediately available.

Additional efficiency parameters of Water Purifier

• The process of "Reverse Osmosis" produces large amount of waste water. Some RO-based water purifiers may be able to re-use this waste water, thereby reducing wastage of precious water

• The process of filtration can remove good minerals also from the water. Water purifiers with TDS control can retain the good mineral content in the purified water.

• Some water purifiers have a higher purification capacity compared to others. For example, the rate of purification of 20 litres per hour is faster than a rate of 15 litres per hour, other factors being equal.

Wall-Mountable or Counter-Top Water Purifier

Water purifiers come in different designs. Some may want a wall-mountable design whereas others may prefer a counter-top model. Here is a water purifier model with both options:

Water Filters for Showers and Taps

Water filters are also available for showers and taps. These filters deliver chlorine free water and ensure that limescale, known to spoil the bathroom decor, does not form. Limescale is that hard, chalky residue lurking inside your taps and pipes, left behind by hard water. These filter also remove bad odour and bacteria. Good quality water with normal TDS and pH flowing through taps and showers provides numerous long-term health benefits such as: Prevention of hair fall, improvement of skin texture and avoidance of dry skin. Here is a Shower and Tap Filter for Hard Water:

Borewell water is often hard. Borewell and tanker water typically has a much higher TDS compared to water supplied by the municipality. In such situation it is beneficial to install a water softening filter on all heavily used taps to avoid the numerous problems related to continuous use of hard water.

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