4 Water Disinfection Methods Compared

Water disinfection is important to ensure health and safety. There have been several cases where drinking water was contaminated with either microorganisms or other chemical byproducts. Consumption of contaminated water has resulted in deaths all around the world.

Hence, water disinfection is a critical process to ensure no one falls prey to water contamination and always has access to safe drinking water.

Now, let’s shift our focus to drinking water supply in our homes. Our water supplier is responsible for decontaminating the water before supplying it to our homes. However, despite their best efforts, some contaminants may slip in.

And it is never too late to be cautious! Hence, make sure you disinfect your water before consumption.

Now, there are several methods of water disinfection. However, we will discuss 4 popular methods of water disinfection and determine which one is the best to use in your homes.

Method1: UV lamp for water treatment

UV lamps have been used for water treatment for several years. Although they were initially used only by industrial units to disinfect water, UV lamps have become accessible to home purification systems too.

UV lamps emit UV-C germicidal light which can kill 99.99% bacteria, parasites, and viral particles. UV light for disinfection also removes any other chemical byproduct and unpleasant odors.

Using a UV lamp for water treatment offers you several benefits such as environmentally friendly, efficient, and long-lasting decontamination, no usage of chemicals, and more.

Method2: Boiling

Even before UV lamps were invented, most people used boiling as a method to decontaminate water. Although boiling is an effective method, it still has room for error.

For example, how long do you need to boil the water? Or do you need to consume boiled water immediately?

Well, here are the basics for you. Once water starts to boil, bring it to a rolling boil and maintain it for one to three minutes. Switch off the heat and cover it. Leave it to rest and let the temperature come down to room temperature. Now, the water is ready to be consumed.

Method3: Chlorination

Another popular method to disinfect water is chlorination. It was the most popular method before UV lamps became a popular alternative.

Chlorination uses chlorine to kill bacteria, parasites, and other viral particles. Although it is highly effective, it produces harmful byproducts. These byproducts can also cause negative effects on the human body on consumption. For example, people who struggle with thyroid issues must avoid consuming chlorinated water.

Method4: Distillation

This method includes collecting pure water vapor and condensing it to get liquid water. Distillation includes heating the water at a high temperature to bring it to boil. This water is left to become water vapor, collected and condensed to get liquid water.

This water is now pure and doesn’t contain any harmful microorganisms or salts. However, it is a slow process and needs expensive equipment. So, when it comes to home water purification systems, distillation might not be a good choice.

Which water purification method is the best?

When you compare these four methods of water disinfection, UV lamps for water treatment come at the top. And for the right reasons.

1. Boiling requires us to follow some basic rules which we usually miss out on, risking the whole decontamination process. Whereas, using UV lamps is a foolproof method and doesn’t need much effort.
2. Chlorination decontaminates the water but generates by products. However, UV lamps don’t produce any byproducts.
3. Distillation is a highly expensive method as compared to UV lamps which are easily accessible and affordable method of water disinfection.

So, clearly, UV lamps for water disinfection are a winner amongst all the existing water purification methods.

Bottom Line

Water disinfection is important to ensure health and safety. With several methods available, UV lamps are most effective and don’t cause any further contamination.

If you are installing a UV water treatment system or need replacement of UV lamps in your existing water treatment system, get in touch with us at Light Spectrum Enterprises, Inc.

With our wide range of UV lamps, you can ensure your UV water treatment system is always up and running to disinfect the water.

Contact our team to find out more.