Water Purification Systems: Types And How They Work

Water purification systems have become an essential part of a healthy living and an increasing number of homeowners, business owners, and industrial set-up are becoming interested in keeping up with the health and safety standards which have been set up by regulatory bodies to improve consumer health.

Industrial water purification poses a wide range of questions as more companies are interested in ways to improve water quality. With several options available on the market to achieve this aim, there is the need to understand the specific advantages offered by each of the water purification system types available for use.

Below, we have discussed some of the most important water purification systems available in order to help you make the best choice while also remarkably saving you several thousands of dollars on water purification.

It is important to note that with proper maintenance, any of the purification systems discussed below can provide an impressive bottom line. Below are the common types of water filtration systems for your needs.

Water Purification Systems

• Reverse Osmosis

The reverse-osmosis water filtration system works by forcing feed water through a semi-permeable membrane. To achieve this, a pump is used to apply pressure thus reversing the osmotic flow across the membrane, allowing purified water to flow through while leaving impurities behind. The flow through water is collected in a collection tube and may be subjected to further treatments.

Reverse Osmosis offers the advantage of a wide spectrum of removal as it can be used to remove specific size and weight of contaminants from water. Another major advantage of reverse osmosis is its long life and requirement for minimal maintenance while also making use of clean technology with little to no need for chemical interventions.

• Media Filters

Media filters can be used as a standalone water filtration system or coupled with other filtration and purification systems. Media filters, especially those employed in commercial settings like Advanced Pure Water Solutions has several layers which are able to filter different contaminants out of water leaving them behind and allowing clean and fresh water out into the desired collection chamber.

The media filter poses different advantages some of which are the low cost nature and longevity of the filter. However, a major downside to the media filter is the limited purification capabilities and this is why they are often paired with other water filtration systems.

There are different types of media filters that can be paired together for the best possible results. Some of the most common water filters are:

• Sand filter: this traps sand particles from water and let sand-free water flow through.
• Multi-media filters; these boast of three layers capable of filtering sand, coal, and garnet from water.
• Activated carbon filter: in this case, water is passed through a bed of activated carbon. The activated carbon acts to trap impurities in water such as chalk and chlorine.
• Specialty filter: this filter is designed to remove elements like iron and manganese from water using silica sand.
• Sediment filter: this removes particles and matter such as rust flakes, grains of sands, organic matters and more from water.

• Deionization

Deionization employs the use of positively and negatively charged resins (anionic and cationic). The positively charged resins use negatively charged ions, attract positively charged ions in the water and replace them with hydrogen. Similarly, the negatively charged ions make use of positively charged ions, attracting negatively charged ions in water and replacing them with hydroxide ions. In the end of the ionization process, a hydrogen and hydroxides which have been replaced form clean water.

A major shortcoming of this process is that it does not cater to the removal of organic particles. However, to circumvent this, water to be deionized must have been pre-heated.

• Advanced Oxidization

Chlorination is one of the commonest forms of oxidization in existence. Through the addition of chlorines to water, purification has been achieved. To achieve complete disinfection of water, hypochlorite has been the most commonly used agent to eliminate water borne diseases. In addition to use of chlorine, other methods can be adopted for complete water oxidization. Some of the commonest methods include chloramination, UV, bromation, ozonation, use of chlorine dioxide and other means.

While all the above listed water purification systems are in use in commercial facilities, there are several reasons why water purification should be done using reverse osmosis.

Below are some of the reasons why reverse osmosis is most recommended:

• Danger Of Contamination

Reverse osmosis remains one of the most effective methods for removing water borne disease and contaminants from water with about 99% rate of removal.

• Compliance With Regulations

Reverse osmosis is regarded as one of the most effective components of water purification system design and is required as part of regulations in many industries.

• Limited Budget

The cost of setting up, maintenance, and operation of a reverse osmosis system is typically budget friendly and offers a more robust option for users.