The average American household consumes close to 300 gallons of water per day. Most of this water is useful in the accomplishment of routine house-based chores. Further, Americans depend on the supply of drinking water from municipal authorities or other groundwater sources.
Waterborne diseases are some of the most common health-related issues Americans grapple with today. As such, water used for drinking or other kitchen purposes must always achieve a certain level of quality. Even so, most families think they can only access clean water by buying bottled water.
But how much-bottled water would you need to buy daily to satisfy your family’s thirst? It might be expensive than you could imagine.
Luckily, there’re more straightforward ways to get pure water at home without incurring significant costs. Read on to learn more about how to clean water.
Boiling
Water temperatures of at least 158°F kill close to 99% of any waterborne germs. This explains the reason boiling has remained a trusted option when cleaning water at home. If you don’t have access to bottled water, you can still consider boiling as another easy yet effective way of killing germs.
Water carries viruses, bacteria, and parasites. If you don’t boil your drinking water well enough, you might end up developing waterborne infections, which may affect your quality of life. When boiling water, it might be useful to consider the following steps.
First, filter the water if there could be particles in it. Then boil the water at a constant temperature until it hits the 158°F mark. You can then allow the boiled water to cool and enjoy your cold glass of clean water.
Filters
Water filters are the other common yet effective options when trying to clean your water. Most portable water filters can remove any disease-causing parasites. Some of the most common parasites include the Giardia parasite.
Close to 3.4 million people die every year due to waterborne diseases. If you don’t have the patience to boil your water or have a big family that makes boiling water hard for you, it might help to consider water filters. This portable option can help you deal with the risk of such waterborne diseases.
Once you buy a water filter, it would be prudent to read the manufacturer’s instructions. This will help certify that you are doing the right thing during the filtering process. Once the water undergoes filtration, you can add a disinfectant such as iodine to improve water quality.
It would help to ensure that you only buy such filters from a trusted distributor. Doing so ensures that you achieve quality. It would also help you to understand the different types of water filters before settling for a specific option.
Consider Iodine Solutions
Iodine is an age-old solution when treating water. Regardless of how large your family is, you could still have access to clean water as long as you have an iodine solution in your house. The best thing about iodine is that it can kill viruses and bacteria.
Most people consider this option as the easiest way to clean water. Even so, you must wait at least 30 minutes after treating your water for it to be ready for consumption. The only limitation when using iodine is that pregnant women are discouraged from drinking iodine treated water.
Further, unlike filtered water, where there are limited risks of experiencing an after taste, most iodine treated water has an unpleasant after taste. However, the water is clean and safe, which is the most critical consideration.
Consider Droplets of Chlorine
Are you wondering what options you have to ensure that you have clean water at home? The use of chlorine droplets can be an effective option to ensure that your water has better quality. Chlorine is an effective disinfectant, especially against the cryptosporidium parasites, a leading cause of waterborne diseases.
Chlorine has three common substances used in the process of water treatment. These include chlorine gas, sodium hypochlorite, and calcium hypochlorite. All three options can offer an effective solution if clean water is your most significant concern.
The choice of the most suitable chlorine types when treating water depends on specific factors. Cost, the available storage options, and the PH condition required all matter when deciding on your chlorine types to use. The good thing about chlorine is that it does not leave an after taste if used in the right quantities.
Ultra Violet Light
One of the developments in modern-day technology has been the increasing use of ultraviolet light. Today, you can treat your water using this technology and achieve the highest level of water quality. The Ultraviolet light resembles a small flashlight but with immense power.
You only need to swish the light and direct it in the water for a few seconds. This kills any bacteria in seconds.
The best part is that this light is portable, which makes its use relatively easy. You also get to enjoy the benefit of speed in the process of cleaning your water.
If you are trying to clean your water and wonder what modern options you have, then an ultraviolet light could be your best option. The only downside to this option is that it needs batteries to operate. Compared to water filters, the use of ultraviolet light can be costly in the long-term.
Accessing Clean Water Is Now Easier
Clean water can be an elusive thing more so if you depend on municipal and groundwater for sustenance. Are you wondering how possible it can be to access clean water without having to buy bottled water? It’s possible to get clean and high-quality water at home with these five easy methods.
Depending on the option you settle for, you may need to consider the time used to clean the water and the cost involved. Further, whether you go for water filters or the ultraviolet light, it may also help to evaluate the capacity of water you intend to clean. The choice of water cleaning option should factor in such dynamics.
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