Water Filtration vs Water Purification

What is the difference between Filtered Water and Purified Water?

With so many different water filtration and purification systems on the market, it can be really confusing to know what in the world the difference is between filtered water and purified water. You’re probably wondering which one is better or if they provide the same benefits.

We understand the frustration and want to provide some clarification. Although both types of water offer health benefits and rid drinking water from certain impurities, there are some significant differences between filtered water and purified water.

Words have certain technical meanings in the water treatment world, but of course the consumer doesn’t know this. And not knowing can lead to asking for the wrong products and equipment when you start searching for a water treatment system. This can cost you money. More important it can lead you to astray as you waste time in searching for the wrong water treatment systems.

All water that is intended for human consumption undergoes a basic filtration process. In addition, the water is treated, often with different multi-stage filtration processes and/or with chemicals, to ensure that it meets the safety standards set out by the local governing municipalities. When it comes to clean water, water filtration and water purification seem to be interchangeable. If you buy a water filter for your drinking water, you might say that you’ve purified your home’s drinking water. However, this isn’t true. There’s technically a difference between water filtration and purification.

While most households receive a municipal water supply deemed drinkable, it’s important to remember that municipal water supplies are purified with quantity as a priority, as opposed to quality.  Our household water supplies are full of unwanted chemicals, fluoride and chlorine, all necessary for the mass supply required by the heavy demand for consumers. This type of water is suitable for washing clothes. Flushing toilets and maintaining daily necessities within the household, but in terms of safe drinking water, it is considered good practice to allow your tap water to undergo at least one type of purification method before consumption.

When it comes to your family’s water, you want to make sure what you are drinking is safe. There are many controversies that arise in regards to what goes into our drinking water. Thankfully, there are several options to treat the water coming into your home so that it is safe for your family to drink. These include water filtration and water purification.

The key factors that determines the type of filtration or purification system you will need is:

• The source of the water.
• The quality and contamination of the water.
• The application for use of the treated water.

Water Filtration

Water Filtration, as such, involves the process or processes of separating suspended matter from a liquid. Water filtration acts to remove unwanted deposits such as dirt and chlorine in the water that you can see or smell, a basic filtration system will work to remove particles and improve the quality of water and can be done in a variety of different ways.

Water filtration procedures include filtration for sedimentation, ion-exchange for softening and  de-ionization, carbon media filtration, turbidity removal and iron removal to name a few.

Water filtration is not the solution to remove viruses and bacteria from water.

Water Purification

Water purification, on the other hand, focuses on removing impurities related to the water’s overall safety. These include viruses, chemicals, biological contaminants and many other materials.

Water purification removes more toxins and pollutants from the water than water filtration can. Purification can remove smaller pollutants because it relies on a more comprehensive process than simply having water pass on its own through a porous surface.

The two most common purification methods used are reverse osmosis and distillation. The most cost-effective and most common water purification method in is reverse osmosis.

Water purification and water filtration equipment can be used individually or combined to remove unwanted contaminants and deposits so that the water becomes fit for the desired use. Both methods requires regular and constant maintenance in order to achieve the desired results. A system that is not well maintained can cause more harm than good.