Ideal Water Treatments

The ideal water treatment system for your home will remove all contaminants which can potentially cause negative health effects. It will also improve the taste and appearance of your water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the quality of your water through enforcement of drinking water standards. Yet, sometimes pollutants enter the water system. You may also consider a water treatment solution if you have health issues or are on a private well system.

Reverse Osmosis

A reverse osmosis system uses pressure to move water through a membrane that catches contaminants, according to the National Sanitation Foundation. It is an effective way to treat water for toxins such as heavy metals like arsenic. It can also remove salts and other inorganic compounds which can cause health or aesthetic issues. You will need to use a reverse osmosis system in conjunction with another water treatment solution, as is the case with all water treatment solutions. This system is often used with activated carbon filtration to remove organic contaminants it may miss.

Activated Carbon Filtration

An activated carbon filtration will effectively remove organic compounds such as pesticides from your water as well as improve its taste and appearance. It will physically remove suspended particles in the water and capture toxins through adsorption. The filter material attracts harmful chemicals in your water and retains them on the filter. The filter, therefore, needs to be changed periodically as part of regular maintenance.

Ozonation

You probably already have experienced the benefits of ozonation if you drink bottled water. Manufacturers often use ozonation instead of chlorination to remove disease-causing bacteria, according to the EPA.

The advantage of ozonation is that there is no taste or odor from using chlorine. An ozonator creates ozone with the application of energy and injects it into the water. The ozone will destroy bacteria as well as organic contaminants. Like reverse osmosis, activated carbon filtration can remove the toxins which ozonation will not remove, such as salts and minerals.

Distillation

Distillation offers a good water treatment option which will remove disease-causing bacteria, most salts, sediments and metals. The process involves vaporizing the water and recollecting the pure water in a different part of the system. Like reverse osmosis, this method takes at least two hours to produce clean water. For this reason, it is most effective as a water treatment option for drinking or cooking water rather than water for the entire house.

Distillation requires electricity to operate. Like other systems, an activated carbon filtration system would complement its use for treating your water, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.