Choosing a Terminal Water Filter
Choosing the right water filter depends on your priorities. Look for a model that removes the contaminants you care about most, like chlorine and nitrates.
TDWS delivers on-demand, pathogen-free drinking water, reducing residence time and the risk of secondary contamination. In a study, both non-impregnated and impregnated terminal point of use filters provided water free from Legionella after seven days of continuous usage in high-risk patient areas.
1. Effectively Remove Bacteria
The filtration process has been an integral part of drinking water treatment for over a century. It is an important barrier for some of the most common issues in drinking water including colour, turbidity and harmful microorganisms. However a low particle removal performance by granular filtration can decrease the disinfection efficiency [1].
The most common source of bacteria in tap water is fecal matter from animals and human beings. This bacteria can cause a variety of illnesses including diarrhea.
Another common source of bacteria is from the breaking down of organic chemicals and metals in the water. This bacteria can lead to a Water softener bad taste or smell in the water. Fortunately, these bacteria can be removed by a terminal water filter.
In addition to mechanical filtration, bacteria can also be eliminated by boiling the water or through chemical disinfection such as ozonation. But these methods still leave behind dead bacteria in the water that can continue to cause illness. This is why terminal water filters are an ideal solution for eliminating bacteria from your home’s drinking water.
2. Effectively Remove Viruses
Waterborne viruses can cause diseases such as gastrointestinal issues, meningitis, and hepatitis. These pathogens can also contaminate the environment and pose a risk for outdoor enthusiasts who rely on lakes, rivers, and streams for drinking water.
Viruses in water can be transmitted by the fecal-oral route or directly by contact with polluted water. They can enter drinking water supply systems through a variety of routes and increase the microbial risk in engineered drinking water systems if they are not adequately mitigated.
Some methods that have been shown to effectively remove viruses from water include UV treatment, chlorine disinfection, and mechanical or adsorptive filtration. However, the efficiency of these techniques is reduced by high water turbidity, which reduces the effectiveness of disinfection and enables bacteria and viruses to survive.
In addition, the emergence of novel viral pathogens that are resistant to traditional disinfection and filtration is increasing concern for the public health. Therefore, it is important to understand the occurrence, concentration, detection and reduction of viruses in drinking water treatment processes and apply quantitative microbial risk assessment as a tool to guide the design of drinking water treatment plants.
3. Effectively Remove Chlorine
Chlorine is safe at the levels present in municipal water, but it can give the water a unpleasant taste and bleach-like odor. It can also react with natural organic and inorganic matter in the water to form disinfection byproducts like trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Boiling water for 15 minutes or more will remove chlorine, but it doesn’t eliminate other contaminants that only a professionally installed system such as carbon filters, reverse osmosis filtration or distillation can.
A sterilization pre-filtration device is commonly installed upstream of the terminal filter and aims to remove large particles from the liquid and protect the downstream sterilization filter. These systems usually use Sanitary Stainless Steel Filter Housing and select PP Nominal Pleated Filter Cartridges as filtration consumables.
4. Effectively Remove Fluoride
The EPA recommends a level of fluoride in drinking water of 0.7 mg/L, which helps prevent tooth decay. But too much fluoride can cause stains or patches of discoloration on teeth, known as dental fluorosis, and increase the risk of bone deterioration. Using a fluoride removal water filter can help you keep the right amount of fluoride in your drinking water.
Most popular pitcher filters that use activated carbon do not remove fluoride, and boiling water does not significantly reduce it either because the fluoride concentrations rise as the water boils. However, reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems can effectively remove 85-92% of fluoride from your home’s water. They can also remove other contaminants, including chlorine, lead, pesticides and more.
Other options include the use of a deionization (DI) system, which uses ion exchange resins to filter out contaminants like fluoride without taking away essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium. You can also use a water distillation system, which is a Stainless steel water purifiers more expensive option that uses vapor pressure to separate out water into its component parts.
5. Effectively Remove Lead
Lead is a poisonous neurotoxin that can be absorbed into the body through drinking water. Exposure to lead is especially dangerous for young children and can cause brain and nervous system damage.
Lead is typically found in homes and buildings that use old pipes. Water, particularly acidic water, can corrode these pipes and fixtures over time, leaching lead into the water supply. This was a major factor in the recent water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
A terminal water filter can remove a significant amount of the lead in your water. Look for a model that is NSF-certified to reduce certain contaminants, including lead. The label will typically list the contaminants that the model is certified to remove.
A terminal water filter can also improve the taste and purity of your water by removing chlorine, organic chemicals, suspended pollutants, chlorine taste and odors and lead. A carbon block filter is ideal for this purpose, but it is important to find a quality filter with a large surface area to ensure the best results. The more surface area the filter has, the less backwashing it will need to do.