Water treatment is a one of the most important developments of the modern world, providing billions with pure, fresh water from sources that have already been polluted. There are many reasons to build your own purification system these days; whether you are worried about the quality of the water provided by your local government or you are a green warrior looking to be independent from the system, you'll be able to set up simple systems to better filter your drinking water.
Decontamination
Figure out which method of decontamination you wish to pursue with your water treatment system. There are three possible methods: ceramic filters, UV radiation and chemical treatment. Treatment with chemicals is the method generally deployed by local governments due to its cost-effectiveness and simplicity. Chemicals can kill algae (algaecides), remove biological and bacterial elements from water (such as with chlorine) and remove organic and oxidizable materials from water (those that dissolve in the presence of oxygen). Ceramic water filters are relatively inexpensive, but they do not remove any chemical contaminants from water. UV radiation is the most effective method available today, and the price of such systems has gone down enough to be feasible for a homeowner.
Solar Stills
You can set up a home water treatment system using the sun. With a plastic barrier, cover a source of water such as a barrel filled with rain run-off from your gutters, the ground or anywhere that water collects. As the sun comes through the barrier and heats the water, the water will evaporate and collect on the plastic barrier. This condensation is free of contaminants and is drinkable. These solar stills are very cheap to make, and can be built out of materials found in the home or bought from a hardware store.
Store-Bought Filters
There is a wide variety of water filtration systems you can buy from the store and install yourself. Filters can be attached to your sink spout or to the pipes under your sink, and some filters are capable of purifying all of the water that travels throughout your home. These filtration systems tend to use charcoal or ceramic filters to purify the water. Water is pushed through charcoal, and contaminants are caught in its microscopic holes.
There are also steam water treatment systems that emulate the solar stills method. These systems will even remove the minerals and chemicals put into tap water by your local government.
Tags: from water, ceramic filters, filtration systems, local government, plastic barrier, treatment system