India’s water crisis is becoming more serious by the year. Many big cities will run out of groundwater as well as clean drinking water soon. The Government has said that it is committed to supplying water to all houses for the next five years, but the quality of water going to be supplied is a concern. It also explains why many homes in urban India are dependent on water purifiers based on technologies like UV (Ultraviolet filtration), RO (Reserve Osmosis), UF (Ultrafiltration), or sometimes a combination of all the three.
However, choosing the best purifier in India can be confusing. One of the reasons for this confusion is the sheer variety of brands available in the market. So, it is important to know how to choose the water purifier that suits your water supply making it safe and drinkable.
Here are a few things that you must keep in mind when buying a purifier for your home:
Water Quality
The first thing that you must consider is finding the source of your tap water and get the supply tested for its hardness, salinity, and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level. According to World Health Organisation guidelines for drinking water, TDS includes Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium, Bicarbonates, Calcium, Chlorides, Sulfates, and other small amounts of organic matter. TDS can even originate from natural sources or sewage. If you rely on borewells or tankers for drinking water, the TDS level will be much higher. TDS levels that are greater than 1000 mg/liter make drinking water unpalatable and unhealthy.
Contamination
Some common contaminants present in water are Bacteria, Nitrates, dissolved pesticides, and Lead. The concentration of contaminants present in your drinking water can easily be tested in any laboratory. If the water that is supplied to your home has microbes and pesticides, then it is best if you install a RO + UV + UF based water purifier. The UV technology helps to irradiate the water, penetrates the cells of bacteria and viruses, and destroys their ability to reproduce. Thus, these organisms stop multiplying and eventually die. The RO membrane helps by removing these dead germs and contaminants from water, making it fit for consumption.
Purification Technology:
Depending on the quality of the water supply, you can now choose a water purifier that is customizable for you. RO (Reverse Osmosis) purification technology is best for water with a TDS level greater than 500ppm. Filters with RO technology can eliminate particulates, heavy metals, and minerals through permeable membranes, and provide purified water. If the TDS in your tap water is less than 200ppm, you can choose UV (Ultraviolet) filtration technology to remove impurities while retaining all the key minerals.
Water Storage Capacity:
The storage capacity of the water purifier is also an important factor that you must consider before making a choice. You must have a good idea of how much water you need to meet your family’s daily requirements. If the capacity of a purifier can cater to your requirement, then that one is the best choice for you.
Design and Build:
You must choose a water purifier that has a strong build that ensures maximum durability. The water purifiers must be made of engineering-grade plastic. However, make sure that the plastic is food-grade, too. It is also unwise to use any plastic container in order to store the water as it may increase the toxicity.
Certifications:
Always go for brands that have appropriately validated certifications. Put your faith in products that have WQA, ISI, or NSF certifications. These certifications serve as a guarantee for the authenticity of the brand.
Quality of Service and Maintenance:
Water is generally purified through various filters that need regular maintenance. While buying a water purifier, you must consider the promptness of service and overall maintenance cost.
These are some important factors that you need to consider when choosing a water purifier. Remember that with an increasing amount of pollution, buying a water purifier is an absolute necessity. Select the one that fulfills all the needs and ensure that you always drink purified water.
Types of Water Purifiers based on Purification Technology
There is a wide-range of water purifiers available in the market. Understanding the filtration technologies on which they are based is very important in order to make the right choice. Depending on the quality of water and your budget, you must choose between RO, UF (gravity-based), and UV water purifiers.
- RO
RO or Reverse Osmosis purifiers are an ideal selection if you live in areas that have high TDS levels in the water supply. These purifiers help remove heavy metals, Fluorides, Arsenic, and other toxic impurities from the drinking water.
- UF
UF purifiers are gravity-based purifiers. They are budget-friendly and don’t require electricity to operate. You can use these purifiers if the TDS levels in the water supply in your area are low. UF water purifier helps in removing bacteria, dust, and Chlorine from the drinking water.
- UV
UV water purifiers use a high-power UV lamp to help disinfect water. UV water purifiers are ideal for purifying tap and municipal corporation water.