Water is essential for the sustenance and well-being of all life–plant, animal, and human. The total body water (TBW) content averages 60% of body weight in men and about 55% in women. Vegetables contain about 80% to 90% water.
Rivers and lakes form the source of surface water, while wells form the source of ground water. Water from these sources does not usually conform to quality standards for human uses like bathing, drinking, washing machines, dishwashers, boilers and water heaters, pets, and sometimes even for plants. It is rendered unfit for use due to acidity, smell, color, heavy metals, dissolved solids (TDS), pollutants (organic compounds like insecticides and herbicides), and bacteria and microbes. Hence, the water needs to be treated to obtain the desired quality, free from contaminants, for human consumption.
Treatment of water depends on the contaminants present in it. Any of the following methods–or preferably a judicious combination of the methods–would readily offer water of desired quality. Common methods used for treating water are water softeners, water treatment chemicals, distillation, activated carbon filters, ultraviolet (UV) filters, and reverse osmosis.
Tags: activated carbon filters, hard water treatment, judicious combination, magnesium salts, organic impurities, quality norms, semi permeable membrane, soda ash, water rivers, water treatment chemicals