However, there are still some people who are willing to fork out a considerable amount of money for water purification devices for peace of mind. These home water systems work through a few different methods, filtration and distillation being two of the processes.

Filtration: In a filtration unit, water passes through a porous filter, leaves behind impurities and comes out cleaner. There are carbon filter devices and reverse osmosis units.

Carbon filters adsorb organic contaminants that are responsible for odors and unpleasant tastes.

In a reverse osmosis unit, pressure is applied to water to force it through a membrane. With its exceptionally small pores, the membrane only allows water molecules to pass through, leaving behind contaminants.

Some filtration units have an ultra-violet system which gives out rays to eliminate bacteria in the water after it has been filtered.

Distillation: In distillation units, water is heated to form steam, leaving the impurities. The steam cools and condenses to form purified water. A typical distillation unit comprises a boiling chamber, a condensing chamber and a storage tank to store purified water.

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Direct from rivers, it is a murky brown, bearing all manner of soil and dirt. Through a long process of sediment setting, filtration, ozone treatment and more, it is transformed into the clear product you get at the turn of a tap.

Local water is safe to drink from the tap, but individual tastes differ. Many people still like to “treat” the water themselves by boiling, filtering, or distilling it to feel they are drinking the purest possible product at home.

No water is 100 per cent “pure” water molecules, as foreign substances are always present. But some purification process may help ease the minds of health conscious consumers.

The Four Types of Home Water Treatment System

Filtration: This is one of the most common purification systems. Water passes through filters with tiny pores so that dirt and other undesirable particles are trapped, allowing only clean water to pass through. Other filters use carbon to draw impurities out.
Sediment filters have little or no effect on chlorine, fluorides, viruses, lead, pesticides, but they are effective in removing sediment and organic materials. Carbon filters may be better at eliminating chlorine, pesticides and some viruses.

Filters must be changed or cleaned regularly so that they themselves do not become a health hazard.

Reverse Osmosis: A special kind of filtration through a membrane with exceptionally small pores, so only water molecules pass through. Normal filters have pores of up to 100 microns (about the thickness of a strand of hair) while reverse osmosis uses membranes with pores of just 0.0006 microns.

Reverse osmosis is capable of removing chlorine, fluorides, sodium, lead, viruses, bacteria, and pesticides as well as sediment and organic materials, and can make sea water drinkable. But it requires water pressure to work, and may waste a fair bit of water too.

Distillation: In distillation, water is heated till it evaporates, then the vapor is condensed back into water in a different container, leaving impurities behind.

Distillation is a relatively slow process, but it does produce water of reliable quality without chlorine, fluoride, lead, detergents, sodium, viruses and other unpleasant impurities, though it tends to taste a bit “flat.”

Organic molecules which can be steam-borne, however, will remain with the distilled water. Distillers also need regular de-scaling.

De-ionization: This uses ion exchange particles to replace positive metallic ions with hydrogen ions, and negative ions with negative hydroxyl ions. The combination of the remaining ions produces water free of substances like chlorine, sodium, fluorides, pesticides, lead, and unpleasant tastes. However, it does not remove viruses, organic particles or bacteria.

De-ionization is usually combined with carbon and sediment filtration for maximum efficiency.

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