It is often understood but does one fully understand what the term ‘municipal water’ means? For most of urban India that consumes water as sourced fron “Municipal” or “Corporation” water connection points at home, even basic knowledge on the actual quality of the water reaching one’s home is most often vague or just isn’t there.
The urban water supply, save for areas where the transportation infrastructure is under duress or unplanned (sewage and drinking water pipes side by side), there are laid down standards that define the drinking quality of water supplied to homes. And the quality standards of the supplied water donot, in most cases, need for a family to again get it ‘treated’ at home for domestic purposes.
Even if, owing to the slight chance of contamination during transportation from the source to your home, all your municipal water needs is an efficient water filter that keeps giving you great, clean, fresh, tasty water on tap. Always. Surprised ? Let us quickly take you through the whole process.
- What is Municipal Water, by definition?
- Who is in charge of Municipal Water supply in cities/urban centers ?
- Where does the potable water journey start ?
- What exactly does the water treatment procedure include ?
- How about the quality of this treated Municipal Water ?
- The reasons why the National Green Tribunal has imposed a ban on RO purifiers
- Which type of Municipal Water Filter should one go for?
- How the Doulton Water Filter becomes your perfect choice !
- In Conclusion
What is Municipal Water, by definition?
As per Water and Wastes Digest , Municipal water is defined as, “A public water supply system or water supply network including water treatment facilities, water storage facilities (reservoirs, water tanks and water towers) and a pipe network for distributing the treated water to customers including residential, industrial, commercial or institutional establishments.”
In short, a Municipal Water System collects the water from its source, treats it, stores it, and transfers it to consumers through a pipe network. Across the world, and in India, it runs pretty much in the same method. The bountiful rivers of India contribute to us possessing 4% of the world’s water resources. These rivers, along with lakes, and aquifers serve as the source of municipal water in India.
Who is in charge of Municipal Water supply in cities/urban centers ?
Each city has its own way of handling, treating and distributing water as per laid down standards and has organisations (Water Boards) set up to ensure these are followed. For example, the Bengaluru Water supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) was established as early as 1964 – amongst the nation’s first water supply and sanitation utilities in India.
Where does the potable water journey start ?
Most city water sources are rivers or lakes with perennial supply of fresh water, that is then pumped and brought to water reservoirs closer to the urban centers. Here, the water undergoes treatment and filtration to make it conform to the international standards for potable Municipal Water supply. The treated water enters the network of pipes, that will then take it to the city’s various centres and then onto each of the water consumer homes.
What exactly does the water treatment procedure include ?
Bringing the source water’s color, taste, pH level and turbidity to the laid out standards of potable Municipal Water is the final objective of this Water Treatment process. This can be better understood by peeking into the Water Treatment process of the River Cauvery water that feeds Bengaluru city by BWSSB.
- The primary part of the treatment procedure is ‘chlorination.’ Just as the name suggests chlorine gas is emitted into water through pipes. It is done at an appropriate and acceptable level as per standards, so as to not adversely impact human health.
- It is then treated with aluminium sulphate reduce the contamination level of water is added to it.
- This is succeeded by complete filtration of the treated water. Sand filters are put to use for this process. This involves passing water through beds of sand particles or any other granular particulate matter to eliminate the pathogenic bacteria from it. Even chemicals like alum are used to contribute to the sedimentation process.
This treated and filtered water, is now ready for its journey as Municipal Water to the consumers in the urban centres.
How about the quality of this treated Municipal Water ?
Normal water comprises TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) which is a combination of inorganic salts and organic matter. According to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the upper limit of TDS level in water is 500 mg/l. The TDS level recommended by WHO, however, is 300 mg/l. Water readings that have TDS levels of 900 mg/litre is poor and 1200 mg/litre is unacceptable.
The desirable and acceptable limit of Municipal Water supply has a TDS between 200-500 . The lower limit of TDS in India vacillates between 50-200, since the decreasing lack of essential minerals and salts are detrimental to the human health ( less than 50). It is this lower limit that becomes the focus of how RO Filters’ water output is removing contaminants as well as essential minerals and organic salts, making it “empty” water – useless for drinking. This fact of “re-treating” already treated Municipal Water by RO Filters has not been lost on the government, which had the National Green Tribunal impose a ban on RO Purifiers in India for the following reasons.
The reasons why the National Green Tribunal has imposed a ban on RO purifiers
● The TDS falls below 500 grams per litre in water that is treated using an RO purifier. This directly affects an individual’s health.
● The water is stripped of all its naturally occurring minerals, as a result of this empty water is left behind after it has been treated in an RO Purifier.
● A RO Purifier wastes/discharges 3-4 litres of waste water for every litre of drinkable/potable water produced !
Since RO Purifiers are ruled out, one has to make a pick from the various water filtration systems that are available in the market.
Which type of Municipal Water Filter should one go for?
Choosing a water filtration system for Municipal Water needs careful deliberation, to ensure that it ensures clean, tasty, quality water filled with essential minerals on tap, that is also energy-efficient, has zero wastage and has the lowest carbon footprint for the devices in its class. What’s most important – it should be mostly maintenance-free and ideally be a product for life !
How the Doulton Water Filter becomes your perfect choice !
What sets a Doulton water filter apart from the rest? A Water Filter Candle made out of 100% Natural Earth, it’s extremely easy to use and maintain.
Since it is gravity-fed, it doesnot use electricity, and since it is a Water Filter, doesnot waste a single drop of Municipal Water. Think of the savings it brings to your municipal corporation water bill ! Doulton’s water filter ensures removal of contaminants upto 99.99%., and all this at the most wallet-friendly price.
The very fact that it is loved and used over 140 countries worldwide should give you an idea of the credibility of the brand and the water filter. pocket-friendly price. Having gained adoration in 140 countries reflects the brand’s credible worthiness.
In Conclusion
Doulton water filters are tailor-made solutions that meet every household’s needs. You need to ensure that your preference of a Municipal Water Filter to have healthy clean drinking water for your home not only scores the best , but is also considerate to the environment.
It is time to choose wisely and take home the best water filter in India.
F A Qs on Municipal Water in India
The Municipal Water supply in India, distributed through various Water Boards and Public Utilities organisations across states in India. The basic process remains the same – sourcing from freshwater bodies, transporting it to treatment centres, and then distributing the treated & clean water to domestic consumers via a network. Since the treated water goes through an established process that has inherent health standards laid out to be adhered to, the treated water as it leaves the centres is potable and fit for human consumption.
The contamination of fresh water sources from where the Municipal Water Board sources its water supply for the urban centres travel through a lot of terrains – be it as a river or as a lake/natural reservoir. This would include soil impurities that would have come from excessive fertilisers from the farmlands, leaching from landfills, wastewater drainage that is improper or broken and leaking into the topsoil and many more.
All the established Water Boards have their scientifically established and proven set of processes to treat the water and ensure its composition is well inside permissible health limits, clean and completely potable – in short, fit for human consumption without any additional ‘treatment’ theron.
Yes, very much ! This requirement of a filtration/purification device ( RO is the most common) becomes necessary in many areas due to the difference in quality of the transportation system ( the network of delivery pipes) through the urban centres.
The distribution system may have sections of delivery pipes that have been past their prime, and hence corroded, cracks that bring in contamination from the surrounding earth, flawed planning that might have waste water delivery pipes and fresh Municipal Water pipes laid very close and the corroded pipes of the latter resulting in contamination – the reasons can be many.
Since the hardness, excessive organic salts, microbial contamination are all equally addressed and brought down to the permissible limits fit for human consumption, any more purification ( by the likes of a RO Purifier) would remove these contaminants and along with it, all the essential minerals that benefit the human body, present in the water in optimal levels.
The best and the most sustainable choice for an urban family would be a highly efficient water ( not a Purifier) that doesnot use electricity, saves water, made of sustainable materials, extremely easy to use and maintain while ensuring removal of contaminants upto 99.99%., and all this at the most wallet-friendly price.
Doulton’s range of Water Filters in India
The perfect Municipal Water Filter money can Buy
If you get municipal water or water with TDS less than 500, Doulton might be the perfect water filter for you
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