Boiling water is the oldest and widely practiced household water treatment method used for water purification. This method is very simple. Water is first heated until it reaches its boiling point. The appearance of bubbles indicates that it has reached its boiling point. This begins the process of disinfection by heat. For a thorough and complete disinfection of bacteria and viruses, a minimum time of 20 minutes after boiling point is reached is a must. This ensures that it is pathogen free. Most often however, in practical terms, people believe that water is pure once boiling begins. This may not be true.
Secondly, boiled water needs sufficient time to cool before it can be used. During the process of cooling and handling e.g. pouring into containers or bottles, there is every chance of re contamination, especially if our hands or the utensils are unclean. In tropical climates, bacteria breed at an amazingly fast pace and it is possible that boiled water at the point of actual use is contaminated, despite boiling for 20 minutes. Hydronix Water Technology
Another limitation with boiled water is that it develops a “flat” taste. This is because the dissolved oxygen in the water is released in the form of bubbles. Handling of boiling water can lead to burns and serious injuries due to the high temperature.
While heat is a great disinfectant, boiling does not remove physical suspended impurities like dirt, dust, mud and free particles of rust, which need an effective filtering mechanism. Also, boiling will not remove chemical impurities in water such as free chlorine, nor will it effectively separate the dissolved impurities such as lead, arsenic, calcium and magnesium salts and nitrates and there will be little improvement in the taste especially if the Total Dissolved Solid levels are high.
Water purification technologies
Thankfully, technology today plays an important role in providing solutions. Solutions that are fast, convenient and effective. The flip side is that there are many options to choose from and many people are simply confused. Should I buy a UV purifier? Or should I go for RO purifier, or a storage model? Look at the facts and some options.
UV water purifiers in the market today do a good job of disinfecting water and also filtering it from both suspended impurities and chemical impurities. UV water purifiers work best for water that is supplied by your municipality but may have become contaminated along the way or in your underground/ overhead tanks. In such an instance, a 5 stage UV water purifier is the most economical solution in case of municipally treated water. Look for a company that is a specialist in its field and provides reliable service, because servicing of any water purifier is important.
In the event that your drinking water is ground water and supplied by tankers from wells, total dissolved solids may be high and if it exceeds 500 ppm, then using an RO purifier may be the best answer. Once again check the options and remember that service plays a critical role in its effectiveness.
Type of water
Understanding the type of water available in your home is the starting point. Getting a simple test done can point to the right solution. Most companies selling water purifiers will help you with this. Based on the water quality and type of impurities available in your home, decide on your technology. If it’s mainly microorganisms in municipally treated water that you are worried about, go for a 5 stage UV water purifier. On the other hand, if your water is hard with high total dissolved solid (above 500 ppm) and the taste is undesirable, go in for an RO water purifying system.