Drinking Water Purification Systems
Drinking water purification is the process of removing contaminants from water to produce drinking water that is pure and clean enough for use. Parasites, bacteria, algae and chemicals are amongst the products that need to be removed before use. It is not possible to tell if water is safe to drink until proper tests have been performed on supply. Re-testing is also needed on a regular basis in case an unwanted substance has leaked into the water supply.
Because of this, there are many methods available in order to purify drinking water. There are drinking water purification systems for entire water supplies and for the home. Drinking water purification systems are necessary to provide safe and healthy water and additional systems in the home are put in place to increase the quality of the water. Home options include boiling water, adding iodine and chlorine to the water, de-chlorination and filtration systems such as reverse osmosis systems. The water can be treated from the source of a well or a system can be installed to treat the household's personal water supply directly from the pipes.
Tips on Drinking Water Purification for Travelers
Backpackers and other people who travel for long distances around the countryside or abroad usually come across times when they are in need for a fresh drinking water supply. Drinking from an unidentified source such as a stream or lake that has not been treated by a drinking water purification system is not a good idea in the slightest. As it is not possible to judge the state of a water supply by simply looking at it, there is no way that anyone should attempt to drink water from an unknown source due to contamination risks. It has been said that 90 percent of the world's water is contaminated. Bacterial infections due to the lack of drinking water purification, is a major issue. A lot of travelers pick up infections from not adequately purifying the water before drinking.
Many people believe that by boiling the water first, it will sterilize it appropriately and be safe enough to drink. However, this is not an accurate perception as many diseases and additions to the water cannot be affected by boiling and can only be removed by a proper filtration process. Boiling should be part of the process just to be on the safe side but it should not be the only option taken by the traveler. Drinking water purification can be achieved by adding iodine tablets or chlorine to the water. This can be done while on the road but may take some time to complete the process. There are also portable drinking water purification systems on the market that will rid the water of unwanted particles and bacteria. Anyone purifying water should use more than one method to be sure that it worked and should be careful not to fall for short-cuts because it is simply not worth it.
