What Is Water Purification: A Beginner’s Guide

Unfiltered water may quench your thirst, but it also has a high chance of getting you sick with an upset stomach. Thankfully, water purification exists to help keep water free from contaminants and impurities that can be a health hazard for you and your family.

At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electric, we have installed various water treatment systems in homes throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Since 2007, we’ve helped homeowners understand the importance of water treatment, whether by installing a water softener or educating them on the different water treatment options.

Water purification is the process of completely removing biological contaminants, suspended solids, gases, and unwanted chemicals from water so that it is suitable for consumption. We will break down and review why water purification is crucial, what its benefits are, and different water purifying methods.

By the end of this article, you will have a deeper understanding of water purification and feel more confident when searching for a suitable water purifier for your home.

Why Is Water Purification Important?

Water purification is vital because it allows people to consume water without worrying about any adverse health effects that may arise due to impurities in unfiltered water. As unfiltered water travels through natural sources such as streams, rivers, and snowcaps, it naturally picks up minerals and the following contaminants.

• Microorganisms
• Fungi
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Agricultural and industrial residual chemicals

Most of these microscopic impurities may cause major health issues if consumed. To protect the public from a health outbreak from unfiltered water, the United States passed the Clean Water Act.

The law establishes regulations for establishing quality standards for drinking water overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water pollution testing is enforced locally to determine that water from Los Angeles, for example, is deemed safe to consume.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) releases a water quality report every summer so residents can see water testing results and if any lingering impurities remain. The EPA determines that any remaining contaminants in water aren’t enough to cause negative health impacts, so there’s a chance your drinking water may have these impurities floating.

That’s where at-home water purifiers come in and provide a key benefit: improving the quality of water in your home.

Water Purification Benefits

An at-home water purification system can provide you and your family with various benefits, including better-tasting, cleaner water. With a water purifier, you can take advantage of the following benefits.

• Protection against water-borne illnesses: As previously mentioned, unfiltered water can contain contaminants that can cause diarrhea and vomiting. A water purifier is designed to remove these unwanted purities to further protect you and your family.
• Improved hydration: Water purifiers improve the quality and taste of drinking water by removing specific contaminants such as chlorine and hydrogen sulfide (the chemical responsible for the rotten egg smell). Better-tasting water may encourage you and your family to increase your water-drinking habits and ensure you’re all hydrated.
• Environmentally friendly: There’s no need for plastic bottled water with an at-home water purifier. Instead of buying cases of water, you can save money and help decrease plastic consumption.
• Soft water benefits: Some water purifying systems, like water softeners, can transform hard water into soft water, providing beneficial effects. Soft water can help make skin feel smoother and prevent water stains on dishware.
• Limescale prevention: Hard water also creates limescale, a white chalky residue seen on showerheads, faucets, and other appliances. A water-softening system reduces the scale, and the scale will no longer appear throughout your home.
• Protects plumbing and appliances: Scale can buildup and clog up plumbing and negatively affect the efficiency of appliances like tankless water heaters. Some water purification systems can remove hard water minerals that cause scale and help extend the lifespan of your appliances and plumbing fixtures.

These benefits are achieved through various water purification methods. In the following section, we’re going to highlight the processes that purify water.

Water Purification Methods

Purifying water is achievable through various methods. Here’s a summary of each way water can be purified.

• Reverse Osmosis (RO): Reverse osmosis systems are multi-filtration water purifiers. These systems consist of different water filters and one reverse osmosis stage that is 99% effective at removing impurities from water. These home water purification systems are available as whole-house or point-of-use systems.
• Ultra Violet (UV) Treatment: These water purifying systems rely on ultraviolet radiating light to kill off disease-carrying bacteria and other microorganisms that may be lurking in the water.
• Distillation: Distillation is a water-purifying process that heats water and gathers steam. Contaminants can’t evaporate, effectively removing them from water. The gathered steam then cools and condenses to become purified water.
• Deionization: Water softeners purify water through a process called deionization. This method involves ion exchange and mixing brine water with hard water carrying calcium and magnesium. The hard water minerals are 100% removed, producing soft water.

These methods are available for installation in different homes, although contacting a technician is recommended for assistance. Once installed, you can enjoy purified water.

Is Water Purification Right For Me?

Water purification involves complex water treatment methods to produce high-quality water. Now that you know what water purification is and understand its benefits, you can make an informed decision about having a water purifier in your home. Every home is different, but you’ll have purified water regardless of which system you choose.

For over 15 years, we’ve helped homeowners gain access to purified water by installing one of these systems in their homes. We are aware that although drinking water in Los Angeles is safe to drink, it can be improved with a water purifier.

If you have any questions regarding water purification, contact us using one of the buttons below, or book an appointment through our water filtration scheduler.

We know it’s difficult to base a decision on one article, so we’ve provided plenty more material on water filtration and purification. Water purification and filtration are both types of water treatment, yet they have some differences you can learn more about to make a more informed decision for your home.