Last Updated on May 3, 2022 by TODD FRANZEN
Water purification is a process that cleans water to make it safe for drinking and other purposes. There are various stages of water purification, each of which removes different contaminants from the water. In this post, we will explore the five main stages of water filtration.
Something that is becoming more prevalent in today’s construction industry is building a whole home personalized water treatment system.
The public has access to DIY and rapid water testing by private labs. As well as databases of state and federally required water tests dating back decades for municipalities and water districts.
This information will help you by designing a filtration system to remove contaminants that are in your water specifically!
Stage 1 – Coarse Filtration
When it comes to water quality in your home, coarse filtration is essential. This type of filtration uses a physical process to remove large particles from water sources like water wells.
At its core, coarse filtration is all about using strategically placed filters to capture the largest impurities in water. These filters are made from specialized materials, such as stainless steel, string wound, and polypropylene which have been specially designed to trap dirt and other imperfections in water.
Using this approach, coarse filtration can effectively filter a wide range of contaminants of varying sizes.
Spindown Screen Sediment Filters
A Spindown screen sediment filter is the first element in a water purification system. It is a mesh screen that filters out large particles of sediment, such as sand, dirt, and rust flakes.
The mesh screen is usually made of stainless steel or polypropylene. Spin down screen sediment filters are often used in commercial and industrial water purification systems, as they are highly effective at removing large particles from water. However, they are also commonly used in home water purification systems.
I prefer the Waterdrop’s 50 Micron Spin Down Sediment Water Filter to start with. It’s easy to use, clean, and flush and its heavy-duty clear plastic housing make it an easy visual when you need to replace all your filters!
Home water purification systems typically have several stages of filtration, with the Spin down screen sediment filter being the first stage. This type of filter is highly effective at removing large particles from water, making it an essential component of any water purification system.
String Wound Filter
String round filters are also made of polypropylene, long strands that are wound together tightly to create a wound filter. Depending on your application, these filters are NSF certified to remove sediment, dirt, rust, and sand down to a size of only five microns.
The String Wound filter works by trapping these small particles in a mesh of tightly-wound string. As water passes through the filter, the small particles become entangled in the string.
I recommend Membrane Solutions 5 Micron String Wound Whole House Water, Filter. This brings your filtration down to 5 micron and bigger.
Pleated Polypropylene Filter
Pleated polypropylene (PP) filters are made of a pleated sheet of polypropylene that is folded and sewn together to create pleats. These pleats give the filter a larger surface area, which allows it to trap more contaminants.
Pleated PP filters are often used in commercial and industrial water purification systems, as they are highly effective at removing a wide range of contaminants from water. However, they are also commonly used in home water purification systems.
I recommend Aquaboon’s 6 Pack of Pleated Polypropylene Filter. It’s easy to install and filters down to 1 micron.
Granulated Carbon
I realize that some people are going to disagree with me on granulated carbon and its position on this list. Let me explain…
This is the first chance after removing most of the large contaminates that we have a chance to tackle contaminates like chemicals, acids, petroleum, salts and so much more.
By capturing and removing these contaminants, coarse filtration helps the next part of the filtration process.
Click Here to read a more in-depth article I created about carbon filters.
Stage 2 – Fine Filtration
The purpose of fine filtration is to remove smaller particles from water, such as bacteria, viruses, and cysts. Fine filtration is typically accomplished using a filter with a pore size of 0.5 microns and smaller.
Carbon Block Filter
A carbon block is a pressed filter that is made of activated carbon that has been formed into a porous block. Carbon Bocks are typically made of coconut shells but history has shown that they have been made out of coal, or wood as well.
Activated carbon is a type of carbon that has been treated to make it extremely porous. This porosity gives the carbon a large surface for contaminates to attach to.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) account for large size of pollution in water. Carbon blocks are very effective in removing VOCs from water.
This stage of filtration with the carbon block continues to remove chemicals like the ones I linked to above as well as PFAS or “Forever Chemicals” (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances). If you want to go down the rabbit hole on FPASs, Click Here!
There are over 9000 of these chemicals that have been created over the last 125 years. From all industries. The industrial revolution created these chemicals and as time continued, so did their complexities.
I recommend the ICEPURE 1 Micron Whole House CTO Carbon Sediment Water Filter to really reduce the size of contaminates before we condition the water.
Salt or Citrus Water Softener
Salt treatment is a process where water is passed through a chamber that contains positively and negatively charged ions. These ions attract and bind to impurities in the water, effectively removing them.
This process can be used to remove a variety of different impurities, including heavy metals and minerals. In addition, ion exchange can also be used to soften water by removing hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium. As a result, water treatment is an effective way to condition water and make it softer.
Salt has been used for decades to remove water hardness. in that exchange, a salt ion is exchanged for a magnesium or calcium ion. Simple chemistry.
With Citrus, NuvoH2O created a process that binds and isolates the hard mineral ions with a process known as chelation. I find this organization to be on top of its game! I am not an affiliate but believe that you need to know about them if you’re looking looking for an alternative to traditional salt water softener.
Stage 3 – Disinfection
This important step in water treatment helps the purification process. Disinfection kills biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and cysts. This is a critical step in ensuring that water is safe to drink.
Chlorine
While there are a variety of different methods that can be used for disinfection, the most common method is chlorination. Chlorination is a process where chlorine is added to water in order to kill contaminants. It is typically added to municipal water supplies via chlorine bleach.
Chlorine is an effective disinfectant because it is able to kill a wide range of different bacteria and viruses. In addition, chlorine is also relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
While chlorination is an effective disinfection method, it does have some drawbacks. One of the biggest drawbacks of chlorination is that it can create harmful byproducts, such as trihalomethanes.
These byproducts can be dangerous and have been linked to cancer and kidney damage.
However, despite its drawbacks, chlorination is a highly effective method of disinfection that has been used for decades.
Ultraviolet Light
Another way to disinfect water is to use Ultra Violet Light. UV light is effective at disinfecting water because it is able to kill a wide range of different bacteria and viruses.
UV light is also safe to use because it does not produce any harmful byproducts. In addition, UV light is relatively inexpensive and easy to use.
While UV light is an effective disinfection method, it does have some drawbacks. One of the biggest drawbacks of UV light is that it can be difficult to ensure that water is disinfected properly. In addition, UV rays are not always effective at killing certain types of bacteria, such as cryptosporidium and giardia.
Ultimately, while there are some downsides to using UV light for water disinfection, it is still considered to be one of the most effective methods available.
Ozone
Using Ozone as a way to disinfect water is another option. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas that is formed when oxygen molecules are exposed to UV light or electricity.
Ozone is effective at killing bacteria and viruses because it can oxidize these contaminants, which effectively destroys them.
However, one of the biggest drawbacks of using ozone as a disinfectant method is that it can be expensive and difficult to use.
But ozone reacts with bromine creating other unstable compounds and carcinogens. And it has been linked to an increase in cancer.
Despite these drawbacks, ozone is still considered to be an effective method available for water disinfection.
Overall, what disinfection creates, whether it’s using chlorine, UV, or Ozone is what we will be discussing next.
Stage 4 – Post-Disinfection
I think this is the most important stage of filtering water. All because disinfection creates a byproduct called Exotoxins. These are the dead carcasses of the bacteria, viruses, and cysts or the biological remains from them.
Maybe it’s from my two lymphoma experiences, and the extensive treatment that I’ve been through makes me really feel disgusted for knowing that Exotoxins even exist.
Reverse Osmosis
Hands down the best way to finally strip the remaining contaminates is by using Reverse Osmosis Filtration.
Reverse Osmosis is a process in which water flows through a semipermeable membrane that removes contaminants and unwanted tastes and odors.
The benefits of Reverse Osmosis are numerous, including the removal of 99% of all contaminants, making it one of the most effective filtration methods available.
However, Reverse Osmosis does require a higher level of maintenance and expensive filtration cartridges, which can limit its accessibility for some.
Despite these drawbacks, Reverse Osmosis is still considered the gold standard of water purification and remains an effective method for ensuring clean and safe water.
Stage 5 – Mineralization
This is an important step after you strip the water of everything. It becomes tasteless, even boring since we are used to water that is not treated so extensively.
Reintroducing minerals, like calcium and magnesium, into the water during this final stage of purification, can help to restore the natural taste and flavor of the water.
This is an important step for ensuring that water not only meets your health standards but also your tastes and preferences as well.
To Wrap It Up
You might be asking yourself, why not just go straight to RO Filtration and skip the other steps…
There are a couple of reasons when building a filtration system, you want to make it as simple to maintain and last as long as possible.
Also, by strategically removing contaminates, you can simplify the filter replacement schedule saving you money.
This also gives you a way to customize your system once you know what is in your water.
And with so many different stages and methods available for purifying water, you can be sure that you are getting the cleanest and safest water possible.
What is your preferred method of purifying water? Let us know in the comments below!
***Just a reminder, myexcellentwaterfilter.com is an affiliate site. We may or may not make a commission on the products within the discussion above. The information here is solely to help inform you and provide access! Please leave any comments or questions you have below!