Home water treatment uses a wide range of methods. One example would be UV purification which treats water using UV light. If you're concerned about germs in your drinking water, you can give yourself peace of mind by installing a UV filter in your home water treatment system. This method is popular because it provides excellent value relative to its cost. 

What Does UV Purification Do?

UV light is divided into UVC, UVB, and UVA, which go from more to less energetic. You might be familiar with UVB and UVA because of sunscreen labels. Specifically, the WHO says the atmosphere will absorb all UVC and most UVB but won't hinder UVA as much. This makes it possible for UVB and UVA to reach the Earth's surface to cause sunburns and other issues. Even worse, UV light can damage your skin's DNA, thus increasing your chances of developing skin cancer.

Unsurprisingly, UV light is also detrimental to microorganisms. It kills them. Furthermore, it disrupts the survivors' ability to reproduce, thus further reducing their chances of causing infections. These things are particularly true because UV purification uses UVC, which is even more damaging to cells than its less energetic counterparts.

What Are the Limitations of UV Purification?

You should know that UV purification doesn't do anything besides killing microorganisms. As a result, you'll need different methods for different water issues. Luckily, UV purification isn't mutually exclusive with other water treatment methods. Instead, it's best paired with filters that remove dirt, chemicals, and other contaminants because UVC is most effective when it can reach microorganisms without being blocked by solids suspended in the water. Indeed, it's common for UV purification to be included in the last step in a home water treatment system once everything else has had the chance to work.

What Are the Alternatives to UV Purification?

Of course, UV purification isn't the only way to remove harmful microorganisms from your water. Other methods include but aren't limited to filtration, ozone, and reverse osmosis. No option is best because each has its strengths and weaknesses.

Filtration can remove chemicals and microorganisms. However, the CDC says it won't be able to match UV purification in removing viruses until the membranes have a pore size of around 0.001 microns. That kind of membrane won't come cheap. In comparison, ozone is another anti-microorganism specialist. It's expensive. Moreover, it's toxic and corrosive, meaning people are often wary of handling the substance. Reverse osmosis is closer to the best filtration systems by excelling at removing chemicals and microorganisms in exchange for being expensive.

UV purification remains competitive with these methods because it's a fast, effective, and affordable option that's easy to install and maintain. Better still, it's a physical rather than chemical process, meaning it won't leave any chemical byproducts in the water. The UVC should be a nonissue to humans, provided the UV light source remains in its protective housing.

Further Considerations

You won't know what you need for your home water treatment system until you've tested your water. Furthermore, it's wise to ask local experts about any water issues in the area you might've missed. Once you know what to watch out for, you can ask sanitation specialists to create a suitable home water treatment system. UV purification could play a critical role in that system.