Water Filtration

A water filter specifically designed for use in emergencies and natural disasters will soon be available to the masses.
The filter, called NEERI-ZAR and developed by researchers Subhash Andey, Prakash Kalker and Madan Nanoti, differs from conventional designs. It consists of two plastic containers placed at differing elevations to manage the flow of water coming through. The top container stores raw water with an oxidizing chemical mixed in, such as potassium permanganate. Filtration is performed when water seeps in to the lower container, which consists of a sand filter and a fixture.

The filtered water then falls into a third container, which disinfects it. The water is then ready for consumption.With NEERI-ZAR, up to 100 liters of water can be treated and made ready for drinking in eight hours’ time. The disaster-use water filter’s designers say this makes it ideal for having in a natural disaster, especially when aid isn’t readily available. It can also function without electricity, and is entirely operated by gravity.

Using the new information that is now available about drinking water, citizens can both be aware of the challenges of keeping drinking water safe and take an active role in protecting drinking water. There are lots of ways that individuals can get involved. Some people will help clean up the watershed that is the source of their community’s water. Other people might get involved in wellhead protection activities to prevent the contamination of the ground water source that provides water to their community. These people will be able to make use of the information that states and water systems are gathering as they assess their sources of water.

Other people will want to attend public meetings to ensure that the community’s need for safe drinking water is considered in making decisions about land use. You may wish to participate as your state and water system make funding decisions. And all consumers can do their part to conserve water and to dispose properly of household chemicals.

On an individual basis, each homeowner or business owner can take additional steps to protect their own drinking water by investing in any number of water purifiers or water filters available on the market today. After having the water tested, a few Google searches can invariably provide the information necessary to make an informed decision on how best to deal with each particular circumstance.

If your drinking water contains contaminants such as bacteria, viruses or other living organisms, there’s an easy, cost-effective answer waiting for you.Ultraviolet water purification is a water filtration system that kills any living contaminant infecting the water. It does this by disrupting the organism’s DNA, while leaving the drinker completely unharmed. When coupled with a ceramic or carbon filter, UV purification is especially effective in killing any unwanted micro-critter living in your water supply.

Unfortunately, non-living contaminants such as lead, asbestos or chlorine are immune to UV purification. It also does nothing to microorganisms that are in cyst form, which can cause severe gastrointestinal problems if not treated. Why is it ineffective on anything nonliving, you might ask? Because UV light doesn’t actually neutralize anything, it merely disinfects. In order to filter out lead or asbestos in a water supply – huge areas of concern today – you will need to pair UV purification with another type of filter that handles the job. It’s recommended to have a ceramic or carbon filter for that, with a UV purifier to take care of the rest.

People who have HIV/AIDS, are undergoing chemotherapy, take steroids, or for another reason have a weakened immune system may be more susceptible to microbial contaminants, including Cryptosporidium, in drinking water. If you or someone you know fall into one of these categories, talk to your health care provider to find out if you need to take special precautions, such as boiling your water. 

Young children are particularly susceptible to the effects of high levels of certain contaminants, including nitrate and lead.  To avoid exposure to lead, use water from the cold tap for making baby formula, drinking, and cooking, and let the water run for a minute or more if the water hasn’t been turned on for six or more hours.  If your water supplier alerts you that your water does not meet EPA’s standard for nitrates and you have children less than six months old, consult your health care provider. You may want to find an alternate source of water that contains lower levels of nitrates for your child, or at the very least, install the appropriate water filtration system for your particulatr situation. In extreme cases, a reverse osmosis water treatment system may be required which is a much better alternative to standard water filters or bottled water.

Excerpted from the EPA publication “Ground Water and Drinking Water”.

It might not be the air quality that’s causing your dry skin, and it’s not always your shampoo that helps get rid of dandruff.

Investing in a shower water filter can eliminate chlorine, rust and sediment from your shower water, resulting in a cleaner feeling every time you step out of the shower. These specialized heads oftentimes require very little maintenance (usually about a once-a-year replacement) and have been proven to reduce discomfort caused by conditions such as asthma and eczema.

It’s a type of water filtration system that everyone can benefit from using.

Areas that have limited groundwater or surface water may choose to desalinate (remove salt from) sea water for drinking water.  Reverse osmosis water treatment is the most common method of desalination.  Large reverse osmosis plants are used in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, who can absorb the huge electricity needs of such a facility with the plentiful oil reserves in the region. 

Desalination plants are often located near power plants, which reduce the possibility of energy loss in transit and encourage power plant waste heat to be used as energy, promoting conservation and efficiency in parts of the process such as water desalination and overall power plant cooling.

People are increasingly concerned about the safety of their drinking water. As improvements in analytical methods allow us to detect impurities at very low concentrations in water, water supplies once considered pure are found to have contaminants. We cannot expect pure water, but we want safe water.The health effects of some contaminants in drinking water are not well understood, but the presence of contaminants does not mean that your health will be harmed. Throughout the U.S., drinking water is generally of high quality and free from significant contamination. Public water supplies are tested, and regulated to ensure that our water remains free from unsafe levels of contamination. Small private water supplies, including wells, are not regulated by drinking water standards, and the owner must take steps to test and treat the water as needed to avoid possible health risks.

What is in your drinking water? The only way to know is to have it tested.

Drinking water can become contaminated Read the rest of this entry »

There are many functions of reverse osmosis systems that treat water that we use every day and may not know about.  In areas such as Los Angeles that deal with water shortages, rain water collected from storm drains is purified with reverse osmosis water processors so that it can be used for landscape irrigation and industrial cooling.  At power plants, reverse osmosis removes minerals from boiler water, being treated numerous times so that it can made as pure as possible, preventing corrosion on machinery and cleaning groundwater.

Reverse osmosis is an economical solution for concentrating food liquids, such as fruit juices, than more widely used methods that use heat treatment.  Reverse osmosis is also used in the dairy industry to concentrate milk, ultimately reducing its shipping costs.  It is also used to produce whey protein powders that are frequently used by bodybuilders.  Reverse osmosis is now acceptable for use in the wine industry, though it was once considered unfavorable.  It can improve the concentration in wine, remove undesirable components such as acetic acid and smoke taints from wine, and remove unwanted alcohol content from wine as well.  Reverse osmosis is also used in some car wash rinses to prevent water spots on vehicles and in the production of maple syrup.  Salt water fish enthusiasts often choose reverse osmosis systems for purification of their aquariums.
 

Drinking water suppliers are required to monitor and test their water many times, for many things, before sending it to consumers.  These tests determine whether and how the water needs to be treated, as well as the effectiveness of the treatment process.  If a water system consistently sends to consumers water that contains a contaminant at a level higher than EPA or state health standards or if the system fails to monitor for a contaminant, the system is violating regulations, and is subject to fines and other penalties.

When a water system violates a drinking water regulation, it must notify the people who drink its water about the violation, what it means, and how they should respond.  In cases where the water presents an immediate health threat, such as when people need to boil water before drinking it, the system must use television, radio, and newspapers to get the word out as quickly as possible.  Other notices may be sent by mail, or delivered with the water bill.  Each water suppliers’ annual water quality report must include a summary of all the violations that occurred during the previous year.

The vast majority of water suppliers adhere to these guidlines regardless of the size or the source of the water supply, however, it is advisable that you don’t wait until you receive such a notice to protect your home or business drinking water. Today, many economical water filtration systems are available including many highly efficient reverse osmosis  sytems that can provide you with good-tasting, healthy water. Once you have determined which type and size of system is right for you, just make sure the company you purchase from has a history of quality products, good customer service and a reliable money back guarantee.

Excerpted from the EPA’s ” Drinking Water & Health” publication.

Reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment has become a frequently used method for the treatment of household drinking and cooking water.  The overall effectiveness of a reverse osmosis water filtration system depends on the initial levels of contamination in existing household water supply, as well as available water pressure.  RO systems are not generally appropriate for treating a water supply contaminated by coliform bacteria, or a water supply that serves more than one household.

Reverse osmosis systems are usually used to reduce the levels of total dissolved solids.  RO treatment may also be used to reduce naturally occurring substances in a water supply that result in foul smells, tastes, or colors, as well as substances have compromised the water supply and resulted in adverse health effects.  RO units that include a carbon filter may also have the capability to reduce soluble organic compounds such as pesticides, dioxins, and some volatile organic compounds such as chloroform and petrochemicals.  In Minnesota and the Dakotas, the principal use for an RO system is to reduce the high levels of nitrate, sulfate, sodium and total dissolved solids present in the water supply.