We consider water to be a boon, but unclean drinking water is a bane, affecting millions of Indians every year. We don’t think much about how healthy or free of contaminants the water we consume is, taking for granted that the water purifier is doing its job. When in a hurry, we simply turn on the tap and take a glass of water to make some tea, cook rice or soak lentils. We assume the water won’t cause any harm. But that’s far from the truth.
We need to pay more attention to warnings about pollutants, toxins, bacteria and other worrisome extras turning up in drinking water. That’s because impure water can be more damaging than one can think. On the milder side, it can result in allergies, skin ailments, and diseases of the digestive system. The water may also contain harmful chemicals as well as toxins and microbes that can lead to some serious health problems. It can carry disease-causing bacteria and viruses that include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Some of the most commonly listed problems experienced from drinking unhealthy water are gastrointestinal diseases, diarrhoea, nausea, intestinal or stomach cramps, intestinal or stomach pains and discomforts. Sometimes you may see no signs or symptoms but that does not mean there are no potential long-term effects. Contaminated drinking water can affect your gastrointestinal tract, nervous system or reproductive system, and sometimes can even cause chronic diseases such as cancer. Impure water can be deadly.
There’s enough reason to not take the water you drink for granted and do everything you can to make sure that it is 100 per cent safe. Here are four reliable methods to purify water.
1. Boiling: Tap water carries parasites, germs, and impurities that you may not see with the naked eye, but their effects can be life-threatening. Boiling water is the easiest method to get rid of them. But often we don’t get the basics right? How long should you boil water? After being brought to a boil, it should be left rolling for one to three minutes. This water should be then covered and left to cool before consumption.
2. UV-C water purification: UV-C water purification is one of the most effective methods to disinfect water. In this technique, special “germicidal” UV-C lamps, emitting high-intensity ultraviolet light purifies the water without the use of harsh chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Most water purifiers in India are fitted with a UV-C tube. While we get filters checked from time to time, it is also important to make sure that the UV-C tube is functional and genuine. Next time when a service person visits your home to clean your water purifier , please make sure that you inquire about the condition of the UV-C tube as well.
UV-C radiations destroy dangerous bacteria and virus that can cause diseases but don’t remove important mineral salts from the water. Hence this method is considered healthy. It’s also sustainable, as no toxic by-products are formed during the process.
Most branded water purifiers in India are fitted with UV-C tubes from OSRAM . This century old German brand has been offering wide range of UV-C tubes with different intensity and length for domestic as well as commercial water purifiers, air purification in HVAC/ AHU units and for equipments used in surface purification .
3. Distillation: Distillation is a water purification method that collects pure water in the form of vapour with the help of heat. Here water is subjected to a heat source until it gets to a boiling point. It is then left to vaporise. This vapour is led into a condenser to cool, then reversed into liquid water which is safe and clean for consumption. This method is also effective in removing bacteria, germs, salts, and metals like lead, mercury, etc. However, distillation is a very slow process. In addition, it also requires a heat source for the purification to work and is expensive.
4. Chlorination: Chlorine is a strong chemical that has been in use for several years to treat water for home consumption. It kills germs, parasites, and other disease-causing organisms found in ground or tap water with the use of chlorine tablets or liquid chlorine. It’s both cheap and effective. However, people suffering from thyroid should talk to a medical practitioner before using chlorine. When using chlorine tablets, it is important to use them in hot water, so they can dissolve well leaving it clean and safe.
Which method of purification is the best?
The one method that is both safe, convenient, and eco-friendly, is UV-C water purification. Please note, all Blue colour tube lights are not UV-C tubes. So, always make sure that the replaced UV-C tube during regular service of your water purifier is from an authentic brand like OSRAM.
If there is one thing you should not compromise on, it is the quality of water you drink. After all, clean water is life.
UV-C tubes from OSRAM are globally accredited and are supplied to most of the Water Purifier brands in India.
