Water is the resource for survival  and contributes significantly to our overall health. However, the water we drink and use for sanitation has a direct impact on our health. Many utility and drinking water sources include toxins that might harm our bodies. Proper water filtration systems are essential for providing clean and safe water. 

Water is essential for our survival, but we are exposed to varied qualities of water. Many urban cities supply filtered water to household taps and fixtures that are approved to be potable. However, municipal water, although filtered, can still contain various contaminants that are mixed in the water during the delivery process through the transport systems and our pipelines. That’s where drinking and utility water filtration comes in. 

“Skin, the body’s biggest organ, serves a variety of tasks, including pathogen protection and temperature regulation. Adequate hydration supports these functions and helps to preserve skin elasticity, smoothness, and overall look. Lack of drinking filtered water can cause dry, flaky, and irritated skin, which can eventually lead to premature symptoms of ageing including fine lines and wrinkles,” said Dr Batul Patel, Leading Celebrity Dermatologist, Founder and Medical Director, The Bombay Skin Clinic. 

Consuming water that is unfiltered or untreated can pose major health risks. Unfiltered water contains contaminants like bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals, physical sediments, etc, that lead to gastrointestinal issues, infections, hair and skin issues, and other health problems. 

Types Of Water Filtration 

There are primarily two types of water filtration applications.  

Drinking Water Filtration

“Filtering water for drinking purposes is of utmost importance. The water we consume has a direct impact on our health. Drinking water filtration methods involve purification of water. Drinking water filters need to do the job of filtering the sediments, removing the bacteria and viruses, removing the heavy metals like lead, filtering out the chemicals, and retaining the good minerals like magnesium and calcium,” said Rajesh Sachdev, Blutherm, known for spreading the low carbon revolution. 

There are various types of water purification technologies available in the market that are designed for various water qualities. 

1. UV based water purifiers

“UV filtration systems consist of a UV lamp that emits ultraviolet light. As the water passes through the lamp, the light stuns and deactivates any microorganisms lurking in the water, leaving it safe and clean for a certain period of time,” said Mr Sachdev, adding, for drinking purposes, these filters are recommended to be used in areas where the hardness of water is below 300 ppm

2. RO based water purifiers

Reverse Osmosis water filters use a semi-permeable membrane to separate impurities from water molecules. As the water passes through the membrane, the contaminants are left behind. Reverse Osmosis filters effectively remove all the contaminants in the water, however to do this a lot of water is wasted. In this process even good minerals like calcium and magnesium are removed from the water. These systems are recommended to be used in places where the water hardness is more than 300 ppm. 

Multistage Media Filtration

Multistage media filters purify the water by making the water pass through different types of filter media set stage wise. These stages involve clearing the water of coarse sediments upto 5 microns, thereafter passing the water through activated charcoal carbon media to remove any kind of odour, followed by filtration through medias that remove heavy metals while retaining essential minerals like magnesium and calcium, followed by water conditioning media , and finally passing through a carbon block media to achieve super fine purification just before consumption. These filters are inline in nature and don’t waste any water in the filtration process. 

Utility Water Filtration

 The water transported for our sanitary consumption like cooking, bathing, washing, etc, despite being filtered in most urban cities still contains sediments that can damage our health as well as sanitary fixtures. Hence the first stage in any utility filtration process is sediment filtration. The sediment filter product should ideally be equipped with a feature of backwash through which we can periodically clean the filter effectively. 

Clean water can enhance our immune system and prevent diseases. By removing harmful bacteria and viruses, a water filtration system acts as a shield, protecting us from waterborne illnesses. 

Investing in a proper water filtration system can have a significant impact on our overall well-being. By choosing the right system, maintaining it properly, and regularly testing our water quality, we can enjoy clean, safe water that benefits our health and enhances our lifestyle.