Distilled and Purified Water – Everything You Need To Know

The Significance of Fresh Water in India

Water is an organic compound that is vital for all known life forms. In India, there are three major sources of fresh water – Indus River basin, Ganga basin and Brahmaputra basin which account for 2/3rd of the total supply in the country. While the south and centre parts of the river systems rely on monsoon, the northernmost region, Ladakh, is the origin of the Indus River basin. Talking about numbers, India accounts for 18% of the world’s population and 4% of the world’s water resources.

Challenges in Water Quality

As far as the quality of water supply is concerned, water from usual sources such as taps, hand pumps and wells in India is neither fit for direct use nor safe for consumption since it has impurities like harmful chemicals and contaminants as well as total dissolved salts. This is where distillation and water purification are employed to ensure optimum utilization of the available water supply.

What is distilled water and how to make distilled water?

These are the two most common queries in relation to distilled water. Distillation involves boiling the water and accumulating steam which then returns to a liquid state. This process is considered one of the most effective ways to get rid of impurities.

While distillation was mechanically simple before, it has now become much more complex process due to the need for various by-products. The modern distillation process is highly effective in removing viruses, bacteria and various chemicals such as sulfate and lead.

Distilled water, despite not having much of a domestic use case, is crucial in locations that don’t have strict quality checks for the tap water supply. In general, distilled water tastes the most neutral as chlorine gets removed during distillation.

Also read: Difference Between RO, UV and UF Water Purification Technologies

Making The Case for Purified Water

Definition of Purified Water – Purified water is mechanically filtered and processed water to remove impurities however, in recent times, the definition of ‘what is purified water?’ has changed. Thanks to advanced technologies like reverse osmosis, carbon filtering, ultraviolet oxidation and deionization; these processes can remove harmful impurities and retain useful minerals which make the water safe for consumption.

In terms of applications, purified water plays a key role in the production of medications and commercial beverages. Purified/ionized water with some additional processing is also used for topping up lead-acid batteries as purified water is ideal to carry electrons between lead plates and also helps prevent the formation of sulfate crystals on the plates. In marine aquariums, purified water is mixed with fresh water as it is free from chlorine and copper. It averts the build-up of algae and helps keeps the fish free from diseases.

Another health benefit of purified water is due to the presence of fluoride. It is a mineral that in some countries is added to the domestic water supply, as it has been linked to improving dental health and averting tooth decay.

From a practical standpoint, it isn’t about purified vs. distilled water. Any process that is employed to cleanse water should be efficient with minimum wastage since there is an increased strain on the finite resources of clean fresh water available. Another aspect to consider is physical water scarcity and economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity implies not having enough resources to meet the demand, while economic water scarcity is the lack of infrastructure or technology required to ensure a consistent supply of distilled/purified water.

Livpure’s Innovative Approach

Livpure is a pioneer in the field of water purification products and technologies with over 1 million installations countrywide. With Livpure Smart RO subscriptions, we are making safe and healthy purified water accessible in an affordable manner. These subscriptions come with zero machine costs, zero installation and maintenance charges, and zero hidden costs. Another big benefit is the Livpure Smart app through which you can track your water consumption, recharge your account, check the RO’s service schedule and book service requests for routine maintenance.

Thinking to buy the best water purifier as per your research? Take the smart step with a Livpure Smart RO subscription instead.