What Are Water Filtration Systems?
Access to clean, fresh drinking water is paramount to a high standard of living. That is why water filtration is such a critical facet of modern living. The ability to drink high-quality, filtered water at a moment’s notice has not always been the norm for people and is still uncommon in some parts of the world.
Why Does Water Quality Matter?
Water is crucial to life. Contaminants in water can lead to everything from mild sickness to painful or chronic illness and death. Clean, pure drinking water is the cornerstone of a functional society because it is at the foundation of human existence. Water quality affects everything from animals to crops, the people that tend them, and everything in between.
If I Drink Tap Water, is My Drinking Water Safe?
Tap water goes through a water purification process at a water treatment plant before it is delivered to the population. These processes produce safe and healthy drinking water. The challenges can arise as the water passes through the pipes to get to its destination. These pipes can be old and ill-maintained, leading to issues with micro-organisms, contaminants from the pipes themselves, or other problems. This makes using a secondary filtration process a good idea.
How Do Water Filters Work?
According to Andrew from Rosedale Products “Water filters work by removing contaminants from the water through a multitude of different methods. These contaminants can be removed by chemical processes (ion exchange) or physical processes (absorption systems, mechanical filtration, and reverse osmosis).” Once the water has traveled through these filters, the water is stripped of its contaminants, or at least as many as the specific type of filter can remove, and what is left is purer cleaner water.
What Are Water Filtration Systems?
Water filtration systems are processes that use one or more methods to remove contaminants from a given source of water. Often, different types of filters are used together to produce the desired water purity.
Filtration systems can be found in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can have them installed directly into the main water line in your home. They can also be installed inside the home, using water from the tap and filtering it before it is used for drinking. You can even buy water filtration units that sit on your counter and have disposable filters.
Different Water Filtration Methods
- Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis, simply speaking, is similar to putting water through an extremely fine, pressurized sieve that removes most of the contaminants present in the water. This type of filtration, coupled with other types of filtration, can produce 100% pure water.
- Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration is effective at removing all types of contaminants from water, everything from bugs and bits of dirt down to pathogens and microbes. Filters are designed from different materials including metal meshes, screens, porous ceramics, or other types of materials. The level to which it can filter water is determined by the structure of the mechanical filter and the cost of the system is determined by the strength of those filters.
- Ion Exchange
Ion exchange is used for water softening and works by exchanging magnesium and calcium ions with hydrogen and sodium. In certain applications, soft water is needed, and by using ion exchange, hard water is transformed into soft water. A resin is used in this process, and it must occasionally be replaced to ensure the effective operation of the filtration system.
- Absorption Systems
The most common household filtration system is an absorption-type filter. Activated charcoal or an activated carbon filter is used to draw out contaminants from water. This happens because the molecular structure of carbon is rough, capturing any unwanted contaminants on its surface. Granular activated carbon also removes any tastes or odors from the water, making it a popular choice for households around the world.
What is the Best Water Filtration System?
Your specific set of needs and requirements are what will determine the best water filtration system for you. The average homeowner and an industrial production facility will be looking at different systems yet both find their desired results with one or more of the available options. By doing your homework and talking to multiple providers, you are bound to find the perfect water filtration system for you.
