subject: History Of Water Treatment Systems [print this page] The availability of water has been the mainstay of civilizations throughout history. People settled around water sources which they utilized for irrigation and drinking purposes. Back then, most of the understanding of drinking water quality was based on aesthetic issues; how the water smelled or how it looked. As a result, drinking water treatment systems historically focused on addressing aesthetic problems. The water treatments systems then included charcoal- or carbon-based filtration systems, which were used when turbidity or odor issues were detected.
By the onset of the 19th century, scientists started to better understand contaminants, especially the concept that not all contaminants were visible to the naked eye. Dr. John Snow was one on of the first scientists who discovered the relationship between harmful health effects and drinking water contaminants. His discovery led to the development of drinking water systems designed to remove pathogens from drinking water supplies. These treatment systems were more sophisticated than simple filtration or precipitation techniques. They included the use of disinfectants such as chlorine or ozone to treat drinking water.
As people became more aware of the importance of the quality of their drinking water, they demanded tighter regulations to ensure the safety of their drinking water supplies. In the United States the Environmental Protection Agency promulgated regulations to protect public water supplies (e.g., the Safe Drinking Water Act). Private drinking water wells on the other hand, are not regulated and water quality is left up to the individual well owner to monitor. By utilizing Kinetico Utah treatment systems it is possible to improve drinking water from whether from public sources or private water wells.
Drinking water standards led to the development of treatment methods that were made available to owners of private water supplies. These new homeowner systems evolved beyond addressing aesthetic values. In the early 1970s and 80s the use of reverse osmosis to treat water was introduced. The technique which utilizes a pressure-driven membrane separation process was instrumental in transforming water treatment systems. Today, it is still one of the recommended technologies that can remove naturally occurring radioactive materials or NORMs from drinking water supplies. Reverse osmosis systems can be small and compact, making them appropriate for home use.
Another type of treatment system that is utilized in homes today is the distillation system. Distillation utilizes the ability of water to evaporate and condense as a mechanism of purification.
Currently, the water systems used in homes are uniquely designed to suit the homeowner's water quality. There are systems that specifically avoid the use of chemicals, improve aesthetic quality or address water hardness issues. These treatment systems include scale-reduction systems, reverse osmosis treatment systems and ultra violet disinfection systems.
The history of drinking water systems chronicles the improvement in the types of water treatment systems and the how the importance of drinking purity has evolved over the years. While historically water purity was based on aesthetic values, water quality is now based on regulatory-enforced standards that ensure that water is aesthetically acceptable and that it ultimately is also protective to human health.
