Water Filtration and Water Purification

Before we list benefits, let’s point out some drawbacks

Although there are many effective water treatment options available on today’s market, it is important to understand the drawbacks and capabilities of each product. There is not a filter on the market that is 100 percent capable of removing all contaminants to provide you with healthy, clean water.

Carbon Filters are unable to effectively remove arsenic, bacteria and viruses, fluoride, iron and nitrates. Carbon, including activated carbon filters, has a shortened term of effectiveness that makes it something of a gamble. You need to keep an eye on your filter. Most popular filtration methods use activated carbon and have a lifespan of a few months at best, and if you do not replace the filter you may actually be returning contaminants into the water you are drinking.

There are two basic styles of carbon filters: carbon block and activated carbon. Of these, carbon block filtering is the most effective. These can be created with an intricately fine porous structure from which very few waterborne contaminants can escape.

Reverse Osmosis Filters are probably the most effective type of filter on the market. However, these systems are not 100% effective in removing hydrogen sulfide, radon or VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from your water.

Ultraviolet Filters usually have to be used in combination with some other form of filter in order to effectively remove contaminants from your water. These are not effective in eliminating arsenic, chlorine, fluoride, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, nitrates, radon, sediment iron or VOCs. In addition, they do not improve the taste or odor of your water. These filters are primarily effective in removing bacteria and viruses only.

Distillation is technically not a method of filtering but it is used to effectively purify water. Distillation removes 99.5% of all impurities; that means a fraction of a percentage remain in the water tank after distilling. Some volatile organic components (VOCs) have a boiling temperature close to that of water. This means that they will not be significantly reduced in concentration. Some bacteria can be removed by distillation but they can find new life on the cooling coils before the water is removed.