Making water drinkable when it is either poisonous or potentially hazardous to the health can be done in a number of ways. Water purification systems available vary in how they purify water and price. There are water ionizers, water filters that are designed to filter out various contaminants, from calcium to metals, and a wide variety of substances that can be added to your water to counteract the pollutants in the water.
Water testing should be done to make sure you get the right system for your water problem. Sometimes a water source or well must be "shocked" with chlorine before the right system can be determined.
What to Look for
Depending on the result of a water test, the process to soften or remove metals and other contaminates is different. The amount of water processed will also help determine what type of system is installed, from counter-top systems to full system ionization and tank systems.
Water softening and purifying systems can be bought or rented with supplies such as new filters or chemicals installed by a water filtration company or by the owner. A counter-top system uses carbon water filters to remove contaminants such as lead, asbestos, chlorine and mercury and other inorganic contaminants.
Reverse osmosis or ultra-filtration involves putting water through a membrane. The membrane has microscopic openings that allow water molecules, but not larger compounds, to pass through. Some units are equipped with automatic membrane flushing systems to clean the membrane.
Water magnets remove scale buildup from pipes and appliances, prolonging the life of the appliance.
Whole house filter systems purify drinking water by removing contaminants or chemicals like chlorine, and fluoride. By removing these contaminants, whole house water filter systems provide healthier and better tasting water for drinking and cooking.
Camping water filters use gravity flow and ceramic filters to remove harmful contaminates and weigh under 5 pounds.
Common Pitfalls
Many companies will attempt to sell the customer their products whether or not they suit the situation. An independent supplier is more likely to find the right filter system for your problem water. Thereafter, the decision to buy or rent the system is up to the consumer.
If you aren't a "do it yourselfer," rent from a well-known company who will look after your home system, but be sure they have more than one or two options of systems available.
For camping, be sure the total weight of the unit is less than the weight of the water you would carry in hiking. Also be sure the filter is certified to remove parasites.
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