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As concern for the health of the environment increases, people are gradually starting to change the way they live their lives. One of the first things we should look at is how we treat our water.
There’s no doubt about it, we depend on it more than anything. Water is used for cooking, cleaning, drinking, showering, and much more. Water is important, but it can’t do much for us if it isn’t clean.
Perhaps you’ve been considering the pros and cons of commercial water treatment options for making sure your water is safe enough to drink. There are many different ways of treating water, each with their own list of benefits and drawbacks.
Commercial water treatment, or purification, is used for large volumes of water that flow at high rates. Your city uses commercial water treatment, and perhaps you use a form of water treatment in your home with a water softener, certain filters, etc.
Certain qualifications need to be met in order for water to be deemed safe for consumption. While this process is necessary for everyone’s health, the process of commercial water treatment can be damaging to the environment due to high levels of electricity and water waste.
On the other hand, commercial water treatments remove the need to purchase bottled water – and most of those single-use plastic bottles end up in a landfill. The EPA estimates that it can take up to 300 years for these plastic bottles to decompose.
The distillation process doesn’t use any cartridges or filters, which makes it better for the environment in terms of the waste it produces. It’s great for purifying water, but also requires large amounts of energy.
To heat the water to the boiling point, you need electricity. Once it reaches boiling, more water is required to condense the vapor, which is what makes it safe to drink. There are also lots of harsh chemicals involved in cleaning contaminants that collect in boiling pots, which aren’t great for the environment in large amounts.
Reverse osmosis can be great because it doesn’t require electricity, only water pressure to remove chemicals and other contaminants. Unfortunately, lots of water gets wasted in the process: it uses three times the amount of water compared to other treatment processes. Not only that, but the carbon filters to remove sediment need regular replacing, which means more waste in landfills.
Commercial water treatment treats large volumes of water for towns and cities, but many people will use additional water treatments at home. While tap water may be technically safe to drink, some people choose to purchase additional treatments to improve the taste.
Homeowners can take care of this problem with water filter pitchers, which don’t require any electricity or water waste. However, the plastic filters need to be replaced regularly and can’t be recycled, so they end up tossed in a landfill.
Other homeowners might opt for a water softener to help their appliances, such as washing machines and dishwashers, run more smoothly. By removing buildup, appliances require less energy, which is an environmental plus. The main downside is that salt-free wastewater can be more expensive to treat in the long run. The good news is that softeners don’t tend to waste resources.
If you’re interested in learning more about how your water is treated or are looking for a home water filtration service, look no further than Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric. We have been the Trusted South Florida Licensed Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electrical Experts Since 1983! Call today at 1-800-475-1504.
