We all want clean drinking water, but it’s not always possible to have it perfectly pristine all the time. There can be situations where emergencies will make access to clean drinking water much harder. But even safer tap water is sometimes prone to some level of contamination. All these situations beg the question what would be the best water treatment method to use at home? Fortunately, many solutions present themselves to help in these exact situations.
Water treatment in an emergency
Major road works or flooding are the cause of many water supply contaminations. When households find themselves in this situation they must resort to some way of cleaning their drinking water.
Removing sediment with mechanical filtering
Heavily sedimented water will appear quite densely colored, and to solve this issue, one may resort to straining it. A cloth mesh works great to trap solid sediment from a water source, to bring it closer to a drinkable state. In an emergency, this method works great because it’s so easy and all the materials are available in the home.
The 3-pot method is another way to take out sediment, although it’s far slower. This method works by slowly and systematically pouring water from one pot to another and to a third, after letting them sit overnight. The pots have to be sterilized with boiling water every time a new batch of water is subjected to the treatment. Sediment removal is but one part of the whole cleaning process and the resulted water will need further treatment to ensure no microscopic or organic contaminants remain.
Boiling and distillation
After the sediment has been removed, the next step is to disinfect it. Boiling water is the most-cited method to clean water, especially in an emergency. Boiling and distillation are both similar water treatment methods, but distillation takes far longer and requires more tools. For the boiling method, the water in question has to be boiling for somewhere between 1 and 3 minutes.
Water treatment with chlorination
Highly effective and easy to do, water chlorination refers to the method of disinfecting water with bleach. The exact percentage ratios of water to bleach have to be calculated and the chlorinated product has to be left for 30 minutes to disinfect before the water is actually drinkable.
Non-emergency filtration methods
Dire circumstances aside, there are also situations in which regular tap water is rendered either undesirable or maybe even a little perilous. Contamination in city pipes is still something that happens and preventing or at least anticipating it is important. For this, there are modern filtration devices that provide the necessary filtration.
Water filter jugs
One of the most popular methods to filter water at home is one that uses one of these useful little tools. A water filter jug is easy to use, install, and clean. Most likely equipped with an activated charcoal medium to filter water, it offers clean and tasty water in minutes.
Water ionizers
A water ionizer is meant to raise the water pH by using electrolysis, which separates the acids and alkaline elements in the water. People dealing with chronic metabolic acidosis are the most vocal in praising this type of water filter, as it helps with their health issues. Besides this, ionizers are also useful in removing chlorine, rust, lead, bacteria, and many others.
Reverse osmosis systems
On top of the water filter tier list is the most acclaimed water treatment system, providing the best home water treatment: reverse osmosis. Not only does offer one of the cleanest possible drinking water, but it has many advantages to boot. For one it has the capability to be layered into multiple stages of filtration, but also comes with a water tank to ensure enough pressure.
In conclusion
The best water treatment method for a home will be conditional on the situation, location of the home, or even weather conditions. Some issues could be harder to deal with than most, but there will be a solution to help with water treatment at home.
