Everyone needs to drink treated or purified water, and science has provided smart ways to accomplish this. Your home water might be contaminated, and science offers you numerous ways to purify the water. These methods, however, have their merits and demerits, but all of them work to ensure your safety.
Let’s look at some of the scientific options that you can employ at home.
1. Distillation
This is one of the most effective ways to purify water, considering that it makes use of heat. Water has a lower boiling point in comparison with impurities and contaminants that are found in water. When distilling water, the water is subjected to heat until it boils, then its left to evaporate. The vapor is channeled to a condensing unit to cool down into liquid water, which happens to be safe for human consumption. The contaminating agents are left in the distillation chamber and are cleaned after the process.
Distillation is an effective way to remove metals such as arsenic, mercury, and lead, salts, germs, and bacteria. The method is suitable for people who reside in places with heavily contaminated water. Distillation has its shortcomings, one of them is that it requires a lot of heat when purifying the water. This makes it a costly purification process, making it practical for small volumes of water.
2. Filtration
Filtration is an easy way to purify water, although you will have to use the right filters to remove all bacteria and viruses in water. Filters use physical and chemical processes when purifying water. The filtration process removes small and huge compounds, and contaminants and the best part is that the filtered water contains some mineral salts that might be essential for your health. There are numerous types of water filters out in the market, the countertop options being one of them. Countertop filters would be suitable for you in case you don’t want to install complex filter systems in your home. If you are living in a temporary home or you are in an emergency whereby you lack running water or electricity, then countertop water filters would be ideal considering your situation.
Filtration employs the chemical absorption process that gets rid of harmful compounds found in water. In comparison to reverse osmosis, filtration is better since it removes tiny compounds such as pesticides and chlorine. Besides, filtration is a cheaper way to purify water, and it requires less energy compared to other means. Also, the method is economical, considering that very little water gets lost during the purification process.
3. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is commonly used in most desalination plants, but you can also use it at home to purify your water. The method uses pressurized pumps that force the contaminated water across a membrane that, in turn, filters out impurities and allows clean water to flow through. Reverse osmosis is considered a cheap and low power consuming method when employed in purifying large volumes of water.
4. Chlorination
There are numerous chemicals such as iodine and chlorine that have been used for ages to treat water that’s used in people’s homes. Chlorine, in particular, kills parasites, germs, and disease-causing organisms that you will find in your home water. Chlorine is a cheaper purifier, although you should take caution when treating water using the chemical. Chlorine is unsuitable for pregnant women and people suffering from thyroid problems; therefore, one should consult a physician before using the chemical. It is, however, advisable to use chlorine tablets in heated water, considering that it dissolves better in warmer water. Chlorine kills microorganisms and bacteria found in water; therefore, it leaves the water safe for drinking.
5. Forward Osmosis
Forward osmosis employs the process of osmosis, which involves water flowing from a region of high concentration to areas of low concentration. When using the method, two containers are placed adjacent to each other, and a membrane separates them. The membrane only allows water molecules to flow through and shields impurities such as salts. You will, therefore, have pure water in one container and impurities in the other container. The water, however, contains some salts; consequently, it has to go through a desalination process that completely purifies the water.
6. Portal Filters
Do you know you can purchase small water filters to use outdoors? When you are out hiking, jogging, or camping you can use these portable filters to purify your water. They are very important when portability of your water is not possible and you have to use water from other sources. Having portable water filters will help you eliminate contaminants such as bacteria from the water that you come across. Make sure you use portable filters from well-trusted brands to ensure effectiveness.
Generally, science has been a useful tool since it has helped numerous households to purify their water. The above methods are some of the best in the market, and although some might be more expensive than the others, you take a shot at one of them. You can never compromise on your health, and you can start caring for yourself by implementing one of the above strategies.
I always prefer reverse osmosis system for purification at home. It looks safe and clean to me.