subject: How to Purify Tap Water for Clean and Healthy Living [print this page] How to Purify Tap Water for Clean and Healthy Living
In areas with smelly or poor tasting tap water, in line water filters at the house or appliance level can help get rid of the problem. In addition, drip systems where a jug has two chambers separated by a filter can also be used. Often, the filter is a simple one made of activated carbon. Carbon is used because of its high surface area, yet small size. Impurities like iron, bacteria, and trace elements become trapped in the microscopically complex surfaces of the carbon. The filters are changed periodically to ensure high quality water. Some water purifier manufacturers took the world by storm with its gravity and carbon based filtered jugs, introducing a new word into the household lexicon, tap water of questionable quality can be purified into bottled water quality water. This occurs at a price affordable to any household, far cheaper than bottled water. With common house hold goods such as a pot, tap water can be cleared of pathogenic organisms by boiling. Water that is boiled is medically safe to drink, but does not remove impurities of a chemical or heavy metal nature. Sunlight is the best disinfectant may be an adage more used for politics but water stored in clear plastic, then exposed to sunlight is often purified of most if not all organic impurities. Other simple methods such as adding a small amount of bleach to chlorinate the water works as well, iodine is an older and less effective method. Water exposed to open air after chemical treatment will taste better simply the aeration offsetting the tastes imparted by bleach and chlorination.
Learning how to purify tap water is important especially in areas where contaminated water supply is a problem. Of course, the easier solution would be to simply purchase an efficient water purifying system.
