UV Water Purifiers are considered the safest mode of water purification by many experts and users. Water is perhaps one of the most valued natural resources in the world. As it is a fact that there is no ‘Planet B’, we need to take charge of the treatment and usage of the remaining resources at present. It is a known fact that the planet Earth comprises 70% of water, out of which only 2.5% is freshwater. The worst part is that, out of the available fresh water, only 0.5% is available for drinking. The remaining water is ‘held up in the Polar ice caps and the glaciers. While the facts and data have been established for us to understand just how deep in the soup we are, the scary part is that the accessible water is not pure anymore. It is no longer a simple walk to the lake to fetch a pail of drinking water. Serious health threats are a reality. While the available waters on lands are not exactly fit for drinking, the rain waters are also just as dangerous, with cases of Acid rains a norm. However, with technology on our side, clean drinking water is now a possibility that has reached various corners of the world. The water purifiers are the latest boon that has grown to be a permanent fixture at most homes. A water purifier and other purification techniques are the calls of the day, as it has been estimated that 1.1 Billion lives do not have access to clean drinking water (WHO, 2007). Also, around 4 Billion yearly cases of Diarrheal illness have been recorded, with 1.8 million deaths due to the same.
Water purification is the technology of removing chemical, Biological, suspended solids, and other undesirable wastes from the water body. Depending upon the type of filtration process utilized, there are various types of water purifiers:
- Reverse Osmosis
- Ultrafiltration
- Ultraviolet
- Sediment filter
- Activated Carbon
Here, we will take a closer look at the UV Water Purifiers and what makes them special.
What is UV Water Purifier?
Before get into understanding what the UV water Purifier is all about, let us examine what and how UV is generated. The production of Ultraviolet light is done by Germicidal or the Mercury vapour lamp. This lamp is made of glass with optimum Ultraviolet light that can pass across the transparent surface. This radiation ‘kills’ the microorganisms that come in contact with it, thus, making the surface clean.
A UV water purifier utilizes UV technology to eliminate the harmful living microorganisms from the water body. This also includes the Safety mechanism to ensure that there is no power leakage if and when there is no water around the bulb. Likewise, all harmful microorganisms are eliminated once they come in contact with UV radiation. The bulb within the water purifier system is enclosed with Quartz glass to protect it from direct contact with water. However, for the UV water purifier to work, electricity is required. The power utilized is equal to that by the 40 Watt bulb. The best part is that the UV water purifier can also operate on UPS and inverter in case of power failure. UV water purifiers are suitable for low TDS water bodies like that of rivers and lakes. On the flip side, the UV water purifiers are not exactly suitable for the treatment of Hard water bodies with high TDS. Also, the users must bear in mind that this purifier type is not for the treatment of Chemical laden water bodies that contain Chlorine, fluoride, and Arsenic.
As the user turns on the water faucet, the water undergoes the post-filtering stage through another filter and then flows through the faucet into your glass.
What are the Advantages of UV Water Purifiers?
- The UV water purifier successfully eliminates 99.9% of harmful microorganisms from a certain water body.
- As there are no Chemicals involved, the taste of water is not altered.
- The use of UV is the best way to get rid of microbes without having to boil water.
- This device is relatively economical as it only requires 60W of energy to function.
- UV water purifiers do not require too much maintenance, as these require just the annual replacement of the bulbs for overall good functioning.
- The UV water purifier is also eco-friendly.
- The UV filtration process is also compatible with other purification processes like Reverse Osmosis and Ultrafiltration.
- These are the only water purifying devices that do not wastewater.
What are the Disadvantages of UV water Purifiers?
- The UV water purifiers kill the microbes, but their bodies remain suspended in the water.
- This water purification type is not fit for removing the Metal impurities like Chlorine, Arsenic, Lead.
- This purifier also cannot remove Volatile Organic Compounds from the water body. Thus, the taste of the water is not improved.
- The UV water purifiers cannot function at places where there is no electric power supply.
- The device does not feature a ‘switch-off button. To stop it, you will have to turn it off completely.
- The UV lights are invisible to the naked eye. Thus, there is no way of telling if it is working or not.
- There are chances that certain microbes might escape the lethal effects of UV. Therefore, the contamination levels are never eliminated like in that of Chlorination.
Conclusion
UV water purifiers are a great way to purify polluted water without the use of Chemicals. However, one must bear in mind that these are not effective in compete for the purification of water as desired. For the same reason, the latest models of UV water purifiers also include an extra filter for the elimination of microbial waste. However, one cannot deny the fact that UV water purifiers are inexpensive methods of water purification. Also, if required, the changing of the bulb can be done by self; thus, no professional help is required.
Before You Go: It is recommended to utilize the UV water purifiers only at places where the water source has TDS below 400 ppm.