Water is as essential for life as the air we breathe. Water keeps your body hydrated, and ensures the effective functioning of internal organs. But if the water you consume is impure and contaminated, it can have a detrimental impact on your health. In a country where deaths due to waterborne diseases are common, access to safe drinking water is necessary. Here we discuss some of the most time-tested and effective ways to purify water.
Safe and reliable ways to purify water.
Though an RO water purifier is often the most popular and the best way to purify water, there are other alternatives you can try as well.
1. Boiling
The question of how to purify water has been solved through the years with this simple method. When you boil water, the high temperatures cause the pathogens to be destroyed. Boiling also removes contaminants like chemicals to some extent. Once the water is cooled, the dead organisms and impurities settle at the bottom of the water. So, it is imperative that you filter the water through a microporous sieve to ensure its purity. But it is important to keep in mind that boiling does not remove all forms of contaminants.
2. Sunlight
One of the most natural ways to purify water is by using sunlight, which is one of the most powerful disinfectants. In this method, water is filled in a clear container and left under the sun for a minimum time of 6 hours. You must ensure that the water used is free from sedimentation. Solar radiation ensures that the pathogens present in the water are destroyed to a large extent.
3. Water purifier
The most popular answer to the question of what is the best way to purify water are currently electric and RO water purifiers. Water purifiers use a multi-stage filtration process involving UV and UF filtration, carbon blocks, etc. to eliminate most of the chemicals and pathogens to ensure that you get safe drinking water.
4. RO purifiers
Using an RO purifier is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you have access to safe drinking water. An RO uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants while retaining necessary nutrients which are important for your body. This makes it one of the most powerful methods to purify water.
5. Chlorination
Chlorination efficiently removes parasites and contaminants from ground and tap water. Chlorine tablets or liquid chlorine is a powerful chemical that has stood the test of time to purify water, making it safe from consumption. Though effective, you should be cautious while using chlorine tablets or liquid. They must be applied to hot water to allow it to dissolve well. People with thyroid conditions must ensure that they speak to the doctor before consuming it.
6. Distillation
In this method of purification, heat is applied to water and the resultant vapor is collected in another chamber and allowed to condense into pure water. The contaminants, which have a higher boiling point are left behind in the first chamber as sediments. This method removes most of the contaminants like germs, salts, and heavy metals like lead and arsenic. This is a very effective purification method for people who have access to only raw untreated water. It is a costly process as it requires a heat source for the purification process to work.
7. Addition of Iodine
Iodine is a powerful form of water purification as it removes bacteria and viruses. This red chemical is available as a tablet or liquid that can be added to water and purified. Iodine adds an unpleasant taste and can be dangerous when taken in higher doses. This method should ideally be used only if you do not have access to a purifier or other forms of filtration.
8. UV radiation
In this method, water is exposed to UV radiation that helps to remove pathogens and other contaminants. But this method is effective only if coupled with an RO filter as UV radiation alone cannot give water devoid of all contaminants.
9. Filtration
Filtration is a process that purifies water using multiple filters. In this method, large and small particles are filtered along with contaminants and pathogens. Most filtration techniques use a chemical absorption method that removes unwanted material from water. This process retains some of the mineral salts and is hence considered healthier. Filtration is efficient because it helps in the selective filtration of small molecular compounds such as pesticides when compared to RO. It also uses lesser energy and leads to less water loss when compared to RO and the distillation process.
10. Filtration by clay vessel
In earlier times, long before the purifier technology came into being, people used clay pots to purify water. Water is poured into a clay pot which purifies muddy water by blocking the mud and allowing pure water to pass through. This method is still used in some remote rural areas.
Why are water purifiers your best option for purifying water?
The market today is flooded with a variety of water purifiers, each with its distinctive features. The advantage of using a water purifier is that it filters almost 99 percent of harmful pathogens and contaminants. This saves you from the risk of deadly waterborne infections. An RO purifier also protects from the ill effects of chlorine. The water that you get through taps, travels through miles of old lead pipes. This makes it susceptible to a lot of undesirable odors and tastes. This is why bottled water tastes better than tap water. A water purifier allows you to control the TDS levels that you need in your water and allows you to add essential minerals to your water using the mineral cartridge. Water wastage can also be dealt with, using the latest models of purifiers which come with zero water wastage features.
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Conclusion
Getting access to safe drinking water is a responsibility that you should not be taking lightly. It will save you from a host of dangerous waterborne infections while ensuring access to sweet-tasting water. Although there are a variety of ways to purify water, an RO water purifier remains your best bet, due to the latest technology it employs, to ensure that you have access to pure, safe drinking water.
