Drinking water treatment

Drinking water is an elixir of life for us humans that we consume every day. For this reason, high water quality is of crucial importance. Especially for self-sufficient and self-sufficient people, the fear of diseases and intolerances is often high. However, with the right water treatment, this is completely unfounded.

Tips for successful drinking water treatment

For successful drinking water treatment, it is important to know the different filter options. For example, if there are e-coli bacteria in the water, a UV-C system is required, if the water is cloudy, a HEPA filter helps and if there are hydrocarbon-based chemicals in the water, an activated carbon filter is essential. This list can be extended to include de-icing and descaling: the de-icing filter in particular is a filter that is rarely required and is primarily used to keep the UV-C transmission of the water high and thus the efficiency of the UV-C system. In general, it is recommended that self-suppliers install an activated carbon and HEPA filter in combination with a UV-C system in order to do justice to the daily changing quality of the source water. Depending on where the water comes from, the weather influences various aspects. A very good example is the turbidity of the water before and after a heavy rainfall or after the snow has melted. An important aspect of UV-C systems is the temperature of the water, as bacteria and germs develop less quickly at cold temperatures than at warm ones. The water treatment chain should therefore always be prepared for unfavorable situations. If hydrocarbons such as solvents and acetones do get into the well, it is a great advantage to have an activated carbon filter.

CAREFUL WATER ANALYSIS

In order to check the water quality, it is possible to subject the source water to a water analysis. The test for turbidity is the simplest, as it can be seen with the naked eye whether a particle filter is required or not. The water hardness test can also be carried out without prior knowledge, even if a special analysis kit is required. However, tests for chemicals or bacteria and germs, which are contained in even the clearest water but cannot be seen with the naked eye, are problematic. This is why such tests are only carried out in laboratories. If the water is contaminated in this way, it quickly leads to illness in people with weak immune systems, such as children and the elderly. For this reason, for example, the limit value for e-coli bacteria in the Drinking Water Ordinance is 0.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FILTER AND DISINFECTION OPTIONS

Once the correct filters have been selected, it is important to install them in the correct order. HEPA filters are installed first, as their function improves both the effectiveness of the other filters and their longevity. Like activated carbon filters, HEPA filters should be installed upstream of any pressure vessel so that it does not become contaminated. A UV-C system, on the other hand, must be installed downstream of a pressure vessel. The reason for this is that, unlike chemicals such as chlorine, UV-C light does not permanently protect the water. In technical terms, chlorine has a depot effect, which means that although it protects the water from germs and bacteria for several days, it has the disadvantage that it is consumed with the water. Water that is treated with chlorine cannot be described as healthy water. This is fundamentally different with UV-C, as the water is only treated inside the system and is germ-free after treatment. If this healthy water is now put into the pressure vessel, in which the water stands for 1-5 days, new bacteria and germs can form. The work of the UV-C system would then be in vain.

SAFE WAYS TO TREAT DRINKING WATER YOURSELF

If you take these tips and guidelines into account, independent drinking water treatment is neither dangerous nor complicated. Rather, it is to be encouraged that people find ways to treat clear and healthy drinking water themselves for both nutrition and hygiene.