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There are many filtration systems that homeowners may employ to keep their water clean. If you are lucky enough to live in the city, you may enjoy city water that goes through their own water filtration system. There is also Brita or fridge filters that can be used on any water source. A household might also try reverse osmosis as well to filter their water.
Table of Contents
City Water
City water is available to most people in urban population. The water will cost to use but in general is safe to drink from the tap. Every city might filter their water differently, if you want an exact answer reach out to your local municipality. In general, city water is treated in 5 step process.
- Screening – this is done to collect and strain out the large particle in the water from whatever source is used.
- Coagulation and Flocculation – this is where they used chemicals with positive charges added into the water to combine with the existing particles to make the particles larger and easier to filter out.
- Sediment filtration – this is used to further get rid of contaminant particles.
- Contaminants filtration – this process used different mediums such as sand, gravel or even granular activated carbon to help get rid of bad taste, funky odor, or just general contaminants in general.
- Disinfection process – this is the process of adding chlorine or chlorine like products to the water to keep harmful bacteria and viruses.
Brita Filter
Depending on what type of Brita filter that you get will depend on the filtration process, but the least expensive and most common is the standard white pitcher Brita filter. Brita has a three prong attack to help clean up your water.
First, it starts with built-in screen that will catch large particles and prevents black flecks.
Next, activated carbon granules (same as in city water process of step four listed above) act like a sponge to reduce mercury, and helps with the taste and odor of the water.
As the above is going on, the Brita filter incorporates ion exchange resin which helps with the capture of copper, zinc, and cadmium.
Reverse Osmosis
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Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate inorganic contaminants from water. The water has to be forced through the membrane, and depending on the system the membrane can be as small as .0001 microns which makes it smaller than most bacteria and any other contaminants. As the water is pushed through, which takes a while longer than the above Brita filter, the clean water goes into a storage tank to be distributed at a later time. The water that does not get clean goes to waste because it gets washed away to keep the membrane as clean as possible.
The best option for your home will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you’re concerned about the quality of your city’s water or have well water , a reverse osmosis system may be the best option for you, but that is only if you can stomach the cost and reverse osmosis is not for the environmentalist as it can waste water at a ratio of 3:1 compare to usable water. If you’re on a tight budget, a Brita or fridge filter may be sufficient, as it will do a decent job for a way friendlier on the wallet option. Whatever filtration system you choose, make sure to change the filters regularly to ensure that your water is as clean as possible. Need help deciding which water filtration system will work best for you? Get in touch with Premier Plumbing Inc. today!
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