Water contamination can have a negative effect on your overall general health and interfere with your daily activities, especially if the water is hard. Therefore, keeping household water safe is essential, especially if you think it’s unsafe for drinking or general use.
Fortunately, keeping your household water clean can be achieved using different methods such as filtration, chemical treatment, sedimentation, keeping it in a custom label water bottles and boiling. These methods are ideal for killing germs and bacteria in the water, making them suitable for human consumption.
Continue reading for more details on how to keep your household water safe.
1. Use Water Softener System
Most homes are supplied with hard water. The high mineral content in hard water makes it challenging for soap to lather. As a result, a homeowner has no option but to use more soap to soften the water. Besides making it hard for soap to lather, hard water also affects clothes, utensils, kitchen fixes, and skin quality. That said, finding ways to soften the water is essential.
Fortunately, a water softener system can soften your household water and remove the harmful chemicals that cause it to be hard.
2. Kill Water Pathogens Using Heat
The most effective way to kill pathogens and bacteria with heat is to boil your household water. Pour the required amount of water into a pot and heat it under medium heat. Allow the water to boil before letting it cool. It’s important to note that boiling purifies water in three to five minutes, depending on the amount of water. Boiled water is safe to drink and can also be used to clean baby clothes to prevent skin problems.
3. Filtering Contaminants
There are many ways to filter out contaminants from your household water. For example, you can:
- Invest In A Reverse Osmosis Water Purification System
A reverse osmosis water softener is among the leading pocket-friendly water filtration methods for making water safe to drink and use. Water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane in this method of water filtration, leaving contaminants behind that are later flushed down the drain. Then, filtered water is collected in a holding tank.
- Make Use Of Commercial Water Filters
Investing in commercial water filters is also among the cheapest and most effective ways of keeping household water safe. Sediments, metals, pathogens, and other contaminants are filtered out. Water filters come with unique materials like carbon, charcoal, sand, ceramic, or cloth designed to filter pollutants effectively. Water filters come in various designs to fit different homes and homeowner preferences.
4. Treat The Water With Chemicals
Chemicals can be used to treat contaminated water. Many water-purifying chemicals can make household water safe to drink and have general usage.
As far as keeping household water safe using chemicals is concerned, you can:
- Use Water Purification And Disinfectant Tablets
Water purification tablets are made with chlorine dioxide or iodine. These chemicals are capable of killing bacteria and viruses found in water. To use these tablets effectively, fill a jug with water and add the tablets. It’s important to note that a single tablet purifies a liter of water, and it might take 30 minutes to four hours for the tablet to make the water safe.
It’s also important to mention that water purification tablets might not treat protozoa and chemically contaminated water. Pregnant women and individuals with shellfish allergies should also avoid using water purified with iodine tablets.
- Make Water Safe Using Bleach
While bleach can kill germs and viruses in water, it’s vital only to use a small amount to avoid poisoning. Additionally, the bleach shouldn’t be expired; otherwise, it won’t function.
To purify water using bleach:
- Fill a jug with water
- Add about four drops of bleach to every liter of water
- Shake or stir the water to mix
- Let the water rest for 30 minutes
As stated, bleached water might not be ideal for consumption but is safe for other household uses.
- Purify Water With Iodine
To keep household water safe, use uncolored liquid iodine. Nevertheless, this chemical might not be ideal for cleansing drinking water due to its taste. To purify water using iodine, add four drops per liter of water and let it sit for 30 minutes before using it.
Conclusion
Untreated water might contain harmful microorganisms like Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella typhi, or cryptosporidium, among others. These microorganisms cause deadly diseases such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea, or even death. Besides health conditions, contaminated water can discolor your utensils and stain your clothes. For these reasons, it’s vital to keep your household water safe.
Luckily, using the methods described above, you can have clean household water, safe for consumption and other uses.
Leave a Reply