Purify your water with UV systems: Complete guide

Water purification

Because it is important to drink pure water every day

Water treatment dates back to many years BC. At that time, people already knew that water could be purified by heat, and practised sand and gravel filtration, boiling and filtering.

Their main motivation was to improve the taste of the water, given that they could not yet distinguish between clean and dirty water. They knew they had to try and reduce turbidity in the water, but didn’t know much about chemical contamination or micro-organisms.

The purification method reduces the concentration of contaminants such as :

suspended particles
parasites
bacteria
seaweed
viruses and fungus

In this chapter, you’ll learn how UV water disinfection systems work, the parts of a UV system and what to consider before buying an ultraviolet water disinfection system.

In the left menu, you will find the complete structure of the document.

We divided it into several categories:

What is water purification?

It is the removal process of several compounds such as :

unwanted chemicals
biological agents
suspended solids
gases contained in water

Its aim is to produce water adapted to a specific use. Most water is disinfected for human consumption (drinking water).

Also, purification can also be designed for a variety of other uses, such as meeting the requirements:

for medical purposes
in the pharmaceutical field
chemical and industrial treatments

Purification method

There are a number of purification methods for ensuring safe drinking water. Some are simple and accessible, such as boiling or filtration, while others, such as reverse osmosis, distillation or disinfection by ultraviolet radiation, allow more advanced purification.

Here’s an overview of the main water purification techniques, their advantages and disadvantages.

Filtering

Filtration involves removing particles, sediments and certain microbiological contaminants by passing water through a filter.

Gravity filtration: Operating without electricity, these filters use ceramic or activated carbon elements to eliminate impurities, bacteria, cysts and certain chemicals. Ideal for emergency situations or areas without access to drinking water, this method can be slow and require regular maintenance.
Activated carbon filtration: Activated carbon adsorbs chemical and organic contaminants, improving the taste and smell of the water. However, it does not eliminate viruses or certain heavy metals. This type of filtration is often used in conjunction with other methods.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Easy to install. Improves the taste and smell of water. No electricity required (gravity filtration).	Does not eliminate all micro-organisms or heavy metals. Filters may need to be replaced frequently.

Boiling

Boiling is one of the oldest methods of purifying water. It involves heating water to boiling point (100°C) for at least one minute to kill pathogenic micro-organisms.

Benefits	Disadvantages
Effectively eliminates bacteria, viruses and parasites. Easy to install without specialist equipment.	Does not remove chemical contaminants or heavy metals. Can give water an unpleasant taste by concentrating certain minerals. Consumes a lot of energy.

Distillation

Distillation is based on the evaporation and condensation of water vapour. It is used to separate solid contaminants and certain chemicals.

Avantages	Inconvénients
Eliminates heavy metals, salts, bacteria and viruses. Produces extremely pure water.	Slow, energy-consuming process. May not eliminate certain volatile contaminants (pesticides, solvents). Requires special equipment.

Reverse osmosis

Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove up to 99% of contaminants from water, including bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and nitrates.

Avantages	Inconvénients
Very effective against a wide variety of pollutants. Improves water quality and taste.	It also removes some beneficial minerals. Produces wastewater by rejecting part of the filtered water. Expensive installation and maintenance required.

Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection

UV treatment involves exposing the water to ultraviolet rays that destroy the DNA of bacteria, viruses and protozoa, preventing them from reproducing. UV purification is a highly effective method of eliminating bacteria from water:

Ultraviolet (UV) rays attack harmful pathogenic micro-organisms in the water to be treated
Then, they destroy the pathogenic microorganisms by striking their genetic core (DNA)

Benefits

Highly effective against pathogenic microorganisms.
Does not alter the taste or smell of the water.
Does not require the addition of chemicals.