Tap water passes through treatment facilities and according to sanitary standards Decree of the Chief Sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation "On the Enactment of Sanitary Rules". considered drinking. The problem is that they clean it with mechanical filters and chlorine. They kill bacteria, but pass salts of heavy metals and other impurities. Water enters the apartment through water pipes, from which rust, metal filings, sand, microbes and salts of heavy metals get into the water.

All this "compote" is pouring from the tap. If you drink such water once, nothing fatal will happen. But if you drink tap water regularly, you may experience serious problems with health.

In general, many factors affect the quality of tap water. For example, the ecological situation in the region, the presence of heavy industry, mining, the efficiency of treatment facilities. For example, in 2017 the cleanest tap water was State report "On the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population in the Russian Federation in 2017" . in St. Petersburg, Sevastopol, Voronezh and Astrakhan regions. The dirtiest and undrinkable is in the republics of Mari El and Bashkortostan, the Murmansk region, Altai and Stavropol territories.

Why is tap water harmful?

Tap water contains dangerous impurities that are odorless, tasteless and colorless. They are not removed by boiling and accumulate in the human body, causing severe illness. For example, tap water may contain:

• Residual chlorine. It remains in the water after being cleaned by Vodokanal. Residual chlorine reacts with other impurities and forms Chlorine in Drinking water. cancer-causing compounds.
• Ions of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc and others). Their water is collected through pipes. They accumulate in the body and affect Heavy Metals Toxicity and the Environment. for the functioning of the liver, kidneys, nervous system cause cancer and joint disease.
• Rust. It also gets into the water from pipes and spoils household appliances. Due to an excess of iron in the body, Iron overload disorder: All you need to know . fade hair, break nails.
• Toxins, nitrates and pesticides. They fall into the water environment. They are difficult to remove from water treatment plants, so they remain in tap water after treatment. Cause Nitrate and nitrite in drinking-water. cancer, allergies, kidney disease and gastrointestinal tract.

How to purify water at home

The most technologically advanced and effective way is reverse osmosis filter. Water is purified using a special membrane that does not absorb any more substances. Therefore, harmful impurities and hardness salts remain on the membrane and are washed off into the sewer. The output is bottled water, only from your tap. Soft, completely free from rust, heavy metal ions, toxins, bacteria and viruses. These filters are used by bottled water manufacturers around the world. Only at home, water will cost much less. For example, for a family of three, an average of 1.7 rubles per liter will come out in the first year after buying a filter and 70 kopecks in the future.

What to remember

• Tap water varies in quality from region to region.
• Drinking water should not contain impurities of heavy metals, chlorine, rust and nitrates.
• Tap water can contain harmful impurities that cause serious illness.
• Tap water can be purified to a drinking state with the help of filters.
• The coolest filter is reverse osmosis. The easiest to use filter jug. He also copes with water purification, but you need to know how to check it.
• After cleaning with a jug filter, the water still needs to be boiled to destroy the viruses.
• Filter cartridges need to be changed on time. In order not to miss the next replacement, subscribe to

Tap water goes through several stages of treatment, but still contains a large amount of harmful chemical elements. This worsens the health and well-being of a person, and sometimes leads to various diseases. In addition, the quality of water affects the taste of cooked food and drinks. Impurities in its composition will easily spoil the taste and value of tea or coffee.

Chlorine, which is used to purify and disinfect tap water, kills dangerous bacteria and viruses. But at the same time, it destroys the protein structures of the human body, negatively affects the condition of the mucous membranes, eliminates beneficial bacteria and worsens the microflora in the intestines. Such a substance often contributes to the appearance and development of allergies.

Too hard water affects the quality of things after washing. It can leave streaks and stains on clothes, make products rougher and tougher. To avoid these problems, you need to get rid of chlorine, clean and soften the water.

Water filters

The most popular and practical cleaning method is the use of household filters. It can be a standard filter jug ​​with a nozzle where you need to pour and defend water. Deeper cleaning will be carried out by stationary filters that are built into plumbing fixtures, or special nozzles on the faucet.

Such devices allow you to remove chlorine from tap water as much as possible, eliminate toxic and harmful elements. In any case, filters should be changed at least once a month.

The big disadvantage of such devices is the high cost and the need to change filters regularly. However, they effectively purify water. As a result, it becomes safe for humans and suitable for drinking or cooking.

In addition, purified water will not leave marks and rust in the sink or bath, as well as scale on the dishes. This will make it easier to wash the kettle and clean plumbing fixtures.

However, many people prefer to use homemade and easier ways to purify water. They will also come in handy if the filter breaks and there is no new device at hand. Let's look at how to clean tap water without a filter.

Boiling and settling

Boiling is the best known and easiest method to sterilize and purify water at home. To do this, boil water without a lid for at least 15 minutes. As a result, harmful compounds will leave with the steam. However, bleach will remain, moreover, it will turn into a more dangerous carcinogen that causes cancer.

Boiling has a number of other negative consequences. This process also kills useful elements, as a result, water becomes useless. In addition, after boiling, salts settle on the walls of the kettle or pan, which leave salt deposits and stains, as well as scale. Washing such dishes is quite difficult. See how to descale a thermopot.

Another easy method is settling. Pour water into any container and let stand for eight hours. During this time, chlorine and other impurities will evaporate. To speed up the process, you can stir the contents regularly.

But settled water will still retain heavy metals. To remove these harmful substances, pour out 2⁄3 of the liquid without stirring or shaking the contents at the end and after settling.

Water purification using special means

• Pieces of silicon will purify water from impurities. First, wash the pebbles in warm tap water, then put them in a glass jar and fill with cold water at the rate of 3-10 grams of silicon per 1-3 liters of water. Place the jar in the light, but away from direct sun rays. After three days, purified water can be drunk, but without using the contents from the bottom of the container. You can buy silicon at a pharmacy;
• Silver has effective cleansing properties. It softens and frees water from harmful microbes, viruses and chemical compounds, and kills bacteria. In this case, a silver spoon or coin is placed in a container with water and left for 10-12 hours. Silver-purified water will retain beneficial properties for a long time;
• Shungite - modern facility, which can also be bought at the pharmacy. For cleaning, 100 grams of stone is placed in a liter of water and left for three days. Choose large stones and do not use water from the bottom of the container. Shungite can be used repeatedly, cleaning the stone once a year with a hard sponge, brush or sandpaper. However, this method is not recommended for people with high acidity, with cancer, blood clots, and during an exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• Magnets are another way to purify water at home. However, it is not effective enough, as it collects only iron salts. And bleach and most of the microbes will remain in the water. For cleaning, magnets are wrapped around the dishes and left for five hours;
• Activated charcoal will effectively replace filters, because it is this agent that is used in the manufacture of cleaning devices. It neutralizes bad smell rusty pipes and bleach, removes harmful and toxic substances. Wrap the tablets in gauze and put in a container of water at the rate of one tablet per liter of water. In eight hours the water will be clear!

Is it good to freeze water

Freezing is a popular, most effective and efficient cleaning method to date. It has been proven that melt water contains much less impurities and harmful substances than tap water. It restores the body, improves performance and gives strength, helps with allergies, dermatitis and skin itching, with stomatitis and asthma.

To freeze, pour water into a saucepan with a lid and a plastic container, leaving some free space on top. You can not use glass containers, it is not recommended to take plastic bottles, as they are hazardous to health.

A suitable option would be special bags for freezing or containers made of high-quality food-grade plastic. It is convenient to use such dishes for freezing and storing food or water. In addition, high-quality plastic dishes are easy to wash and, if necessary, can be washed. At the same time, food-grade plastic is safe for humans.

To get the most out of melt water, when the water in the container is half frozen, drain the unfrosted part. And the remaining ice can be melted and used as drinking water. Freshly thawed water is considered the most useful and healing.

Folk ways to clean tap water

• Table salt in the amount of one tablespoon is placed in two liters of water and left for 20-25 minutes. During this time, the water is purified from salts, heavy metals and dangerous microorganisms. However, drinking such a liquid every day is not recommended;
• Herbal ingredients, including juniper branches, onion peel, willow bark or bird cherry leaves, also effectively purify water. Put the product in liquid and leave for at least 12 hours;
• A bunch of rowan gives purified water, equal in quality after purification with activated carbon or silver. To do this, the mountain ash is lowered into the water for three hours;
• The wine method should be used with extreme caution, as it can spoil the taste of drinking water. To avoid this, strictly follow the cleaning rules. In this case, one part of dry white wine is added to two parts of water, mixed and left for three to four hours;
• Vinegar and iodine purify water, but can also give an unpleasant taste. In addition, after cleaning, some of the chlorine compounds and microbes still remain in the liquid. A teaspoon of vinegar is put on a liter of water or three drops of 5% iodine are dripped and left for six hours.

The quality of the water depends on the method of purification chosen and on how much you defend the liquid or use filters. Some people replace tap water with distilled water. Such a liquid does not contain harmful substances and compounds, but it has no taste and, with frequent use, leaches useful salts and minerals from the body.

There are many quite reliable household water filters that will solve the problem. These are drinking water filters that are built into the sink, faucet nozzles, pitcher filters, water pre-treatment installations throughout the apartment. But when the filter is out of order, and the problem needs to be solved at least for a while, we remember more simple ways tap water purification.

settling

Chlorinated tap water tastes and smells bad. But chlorination is necessary to neutralize the microorganisms present in the water. To neutralize the microorganisms present in the water, it is chlorinated. Drinking chlorinated water is not recommended, chlorine has the ability to accumulate in the body and during boiling forms very harmful chemical compounds. You can neutralize the effect of chlorine by settling the water. Simply pour tap water into a large container and leave for 7-8 hours. Heavy metal impurities and chlorine compounds will evaporate during this time. Important! Use for drinking and food you need ¾ of settled water, pour out the rest.

ICE FILTER

A simple method of preparing melt water at home is suitable for those who have a roomy freezer. cold water in plastic bottles, place in the freezer and wait until about half of it freezes. In the middle of the volume, unfrozen water remains, which is poured out. The ice is thawed and used for drinking. The idea of ​​this method of water purification is that pure water freezes first, and most of the impurities remain in solution. Even sea ice is mostly fresh water, despite the fact that it forms on the surface of a salty body of water. It is important to know: only the water from which clear ice is obtained can be used for food. If the ice looks cloudy, the water from it is saturated with harmful substances. Therefore, doctors recommend only clear, clean ice to defrost and drink. Melt water from it is very useful for the skin, so you can actively use it for washing.

Silicon Enrichment

Silicon has strong bactericidal properties, in fact it is the best natural water filter, but the question is - where to get it? Silicon can be bought at some pharmacies or ordered online. Its cost is not high - 230-250 rubles per 150 g. In addition, silicon also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal properties, improves metabolism, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, preventing the occurrence of pathologies, and contributes to the rapid removal of toxins from the body , toxins, carcinogens and other harmful substances. Before using silicon for the first time, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse it with running water, then pour it with water and infuse for 2-3 days. It is necessary to drink in small portions, at least 2-3 glasses per day. Periodically (1 time per week) the crystals should be washed from the formed plaque.

Cleansing with activated carbon

Activated carbon is a part of household bulk filters for water purification. It is an effective water purifier, after application of which tap water becomes more pleasant in taste and smell. since coal absorbs almost all harmful substances found in tap water. To purify water with activated charcoal, you need to place a home-made filter in the form of a fabric or gauze bag filled with activated charcoal - powdered, granular or in tablets (tablets must first be crushed) on a container with water. True, such an impromptu filter cannot be used for a long time; it requires replacement in a few days.

Silver cleansing

The ions contained in silver actively purify water. Silver has bactericidal properties, so you can pour water into a large glass container, place a silver object (with 999 fineness) inside and let the water stand for 8-10 hours. The only thing - it is not recommended to drink only such water, silver - silver toxins can accumulate, creating an excess of silver in the body, which can lead to metabolic disorders.

Photo: seasons. agency / Jalag / Wrage, Gotz, fotoimedia/Ingram.

Every person needs water for life, we drink it, we cook our own food with the help of water, and my body with it. We are accustomed, as a matter of course, that by opening the tap, we get water from the water supply. But this water is far from ideal quality, so it requires additional purification. But how to do it at home without expensive industrial multi-level filters?

What's wrong with tap water?

Water - this is a source of not only liquid, but also mineral salts for the body, a person cannot do without water, it must always be in our homes. But tap water is intended for household needs - washing dishes, bathing and washing. It is better not to use it for drinking, it contains too many chloride compounds. They are added to water to disinfect it from viruses and microbes that can be dangerous to human health.

However, chlorine itself is not safe: it adversely affects body proteins, irritates the mucous membranes of the digestive system, disrupts the intestinal microflora and causes general allergization of the body. In addition, chlorine in water forms more by-products that are potentially dangerous to the body and require prior removal from it.

In addition, the quality of tap water also depends on its hardness - the amount of calcium and magnesium salts, as well as impurities of iron and other minerals. If there are a lot of salts, this can negatively affect the kidneys, if there are few minerals, the body will suffer from their lack, the skeleton will become more fragile, weakness will appear, hair loss and dry skin.

The taste of dishes cooked with tap water and the taste of food cooked with purified water are very different. Fragments of rust, dirt, scale and other impurities can get into the soup or the second from tap water. BUT coffee or tea in general will be frankly spoiled, despite the most expensive varieties of the raw materials themselves.

By the way, it has been proven that even strong chlorination does not kill Giardia cysts, and when drinking raw water, they can easily be picked up. Therefore, do not neglect at least the simplest ways to purify water, then your health will receive significant support.

Water treatment methods

We present to your attention the simplest ways to purify water.

Boiling water

This method will, of course, remove germs and viruses from it, but not chlorine compounds. When the temperature rises, chlorine reacts with salt water impurities and converts them into chlorine compounds that are unsafe for health. In addition, boiling precipitates some of the salts on the walls of the dishes, look into your kettle, you will see how many there are.

Settling of water

This is one of the simple and cost-effective ways to purify water from chlorine. Chlorine is a volatile compound; when water is allowed to stand for 6-8 hours, all the chlorine dissolved in it will evaporate. Stir the water several times - this will help the chlorine to separate more actively.

The disadvantage of this method is that heavy metal salts are not removed during settling.

freezing water

One of the most effective ways water purification at home without the use of special devices is its freezing.

How to purify tap water?

Water is a special compound, a solution of ions, it contains an admixture of the so-called "heavy" deuterium water. These are special heavy hydrogen ions from water that adversely affect the health of the elderly and children. Such water freezes before the total mass;

After freezing, the ice will have a layered appearance - there will be cloudy ice with impurities and harmful compounds along the edges, and pure water in the center. This cloudy ice thaws faster, it is drained, and the core is used for drinking and cooking. The only drawback of melt water is that there are few useful salts left in it; for drinking it is better to add 100 g of mineral water to a liter of such water.

Water purification methods (continued)

Charcoal cleaning

Avid travelers and the military know this method of water purification. It takes 1 tablet of regular water to clean a glass of water. pharmacy coal - it is pounded, wrapped in gauze and poured with water, after 15 minutes the water is filtered through a fine sieve. This water tastes good and has no smell. However, coal does not save from viruses and microbes - in the wild, such water still needs to be boiled additionally.

Silver cleaning

Silver is believed to neutralize microbes and some metal salts, although the power of silver in cleaning is greatly exaggerated. It is recommended to leave a silver item in a container with water overnight - a spoon or a special pendant. Works simultaneously settling water and disinfection.

Water purification with magnets

Another one from folk methods with dubious effectiveness. It is recommended to encircle a container of water with magnets, and leave the water for several hours. Option: wrap magnets around a pipe that supplies water to a faucet. This method does not protect against chlorine and microbes, but theoretically it can purify water from iron and its salts due to magnetization.

Tap water contains a number of harmful chemical compounds and elements. The use of such water impairs the taste of drinks and dishes, can worsen well-being and health, and also lead to all sorts of diseases.

To disinfect tap water, it is chlorinated, which kills viruses and bacteria, but how side effect its use, the protein structures of the body are destroyed, the condition of the mucous membranes worsens and the intestinal microbiota suffers.

Often, bleach contributes to the development of allergies. To eliminate the above problems, water must be rid of chlorine and other substances dissolved in it, for which there are a number of methods. And, of course, all problems with drinking water are solved by water delivery.

Water filters

The most common way to clean tap water is to purchase and use household filters. These can be stationary filters built into plumbing fixtures or filter jugs.

Water is poured into the filter jug, after settling in it, it can be drunk or used to purchase food. The filter must be changed at least once a month.

But there are cheaper and easier ways to clean.

Boiling and settling

To clean, boil water in a saucepan with the lid removed for 15 minutes. Boiling eliminates all harmful elements except bleach. But the bleach will evaporate if the water sits for 8 hours. In a container with settled water, heavy metal compounds accumulate in the lower third of the vessel; in order to obtain clean water, 2/3 of the contents should be carefully drained from above for further use.

freezing water

Melt water contains significantly less harmful impurities than tap water. Do not freeze water in glass containers or plastic bottles; food-safe plastic containers are most suitable.

Wait until the water exposed to frost or in the freezer is half frozen, and drain the unfrozen part. Melt the ice and use it as drinking water.

Water purification with activated carbon

Wrap activated charcoal tablets purchased at the pharmacy in gauze and place in a vessel with tap water at the rate of 1 charcoal tablet per 1 liter of water. It takes 8 hours to fully purify the water.

Water purification with silicon and silver

Purchase silicon in the form of pebbles at the pharmacy, rinse them with warm water, place them in a glass jar at the rate of 3 g of silicon per 1 liter of water. The jar should be placed in a shaded place, and after 3 days, drink the water carefully drained from above, the lower layers of water should not be consumed.

Metallic silver disinfects water well, for which a silver coin or spoon should be placed in a vessel with water for 10-12 hours.

Other methods of water purification

There are other ways to purify water, but they are ineffective or not suitable for everyone. The effectiveness of water purification with magnets has not been proven, and the strength of the impact of magnets of different designs differs by dozens of times, and water purified with shungite is contraindicated for people with a number of diseases, acute and chronic.

We did not even begin to mention the purification of water with table salt, since the use of this water exceeds the recommended daily intake. table salt, and dry white wine (although this method was widely used in antiquity and the Middle Ages).

In field conditions, you can purify water by adding 1-2 teaspoons of 6% table or apple cider vinegar per liter of water, or 3 drops of pharmacy 5% alcohol tincture of iodine, complete cleaning by these methods takes 6 hours.

Rowan clears water even faster - put a bunch of rowan in a container for 3 hours. If rowan does not grow nearby, you can use bird cherry leaves, willow bark, juniper branches or onion peel. Such cleaning requires 12 hours of time.