Water purification

According to the Ministry of Health, water can be considered to be of good quality when it is safe and clean, i.e. when it does not contain pathogenic micro-organisms or contaminants at levels capable of adversely affecting the health of consumers.

Therefore, it is water that we can consume without any risk to our health.

Public water supply in Spain is obtained from reservoirs, lakes, rivers, etc. Obviously, this water needs to be filtered and purified, so it undergoes a drinking water treatment process that varies according to each treatment plant, but generally follows these steps:

Once in the treatment plant, the water receives various defiltration and chemical treatments to convert it into drinking water, suitable for human and animal consumption. This process consists of an initial Filtration to remove solids, Flocculation treatment to agglutinate the solid substances, Decanting, a new Filtration and Disinfection, which is generally carried out with chemical treatments such as Chlorine.

Before distribution, it is stored in warehouses where it maintains quality control through analysis.

According to the Ministry of Health, 99.5% of the water in our country’s pipes is fit for consumption.

It is not 100% certain that tap water is free of viruses and bacteria. In wastewater that has been treated for consumption, pathogen concentrations can be reduced by 10 to 100 times or more, depending on the efficiency of the treatment process. (1)

Conventional treatments and technologies (including filtration and disinfection) used to treat water may not be sufficient under normal conditions for the elimination of viruses and protozoa, which may be present in drinking water even in the absence of E. coli which is used as an indicator of biological water contamination. (1)

There is evidence to suggest that drinking water can contribute to disease transmission in situations without outbreak alerts, and therefore drinking water quality monitoring must also address waterborne diseases. (1)

Some of the pathogens known to be transmitted through contaminated drinking water lead to serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases. Examples include typhoid, cholera, infectious hepatitis (caused by hepatitis A virus or hepatitis E virus) and the disease caused by Shigella spp. and E. coli O157. Others are often associated with less severe outcomes, such as self-limiting diarrhoeal disease (e.g. norovirus, Cryptosporidium) (1).

A domestic water purifier is a system for obtaining drinking water on site, and is therefore usually a portable or easily transportable system. Filter systems are available, but they are usually larger than chemical water purifiers such as chlorine dioxide. Turbidity of water is a first indication of low potability, however, crystal clear water does not guarantee potability of water.

Chlorine dioxide is, for all the properties described here, the best product for water purification.

Advantages:

Lightweight and space-saving (available in various formats)

Low cost of our water treatment products. Check it out here

Elimination of pathogens. It eliminates odour, taste and colour from micro-organisms, while not interfering with the natural qualities of the water, as it does not hydrolyse, it does not mix with the elements in the water. No chlorine taste or odour. It is perfect for areas where we distrust the origin of the water or when we simply want to improve its quality; it is also recommended for brushing our teeth. Indispensable in rural areas, industrial areas, trips, excursions, etc.

We should always try to drink running water, i.e. avoid stagnant water, water from ponds, puddles, etc. Also try to drink water from the part closest to its source, thus avoiding possible contact with pollutants.

If possible, avoid places with human presence, settlements, agricultural and industrial areas of course. As well as areas with livestock, where there is a high likelihood of contamination by droppings or dead animals.

Crystal clear water does not ensure the potability of the water, as it may also contain pathogens.

1. Here we offer you the solution to have tap water that is completely safe and free of strange odours and flavours. In general, bottled water is not healthier than tap water. Moreover, it is estimated that 40% of bottled water sold comes from tap water.
2. The large amount of plastic bottles generated by the industry is causing serious problems for the environment, as is well known.
3. It is very expensive: bottled water is on average 250 times more expensive than tap water. In other words, what we pay for 1 litre of bottled water is equal to what we pay for 250 litres of tap water.
4. High energy consumption in the production of water bottles. The electricity needed to produce 1 litre of water is 100 times higher than the electricity needed to produce 1 litre of tap water.
5. High fuel consumption in transport. Unlike tap water, bottles need to be transported to the consumer. This transport obviously produces high CO2 emissions which, as we already know, seriously damage the ecosystem.
6. We recommend that you take a look at this video on the North American bottled water market.

Information obtained from the ecoinvents website