| Treatment method |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Water Conditioners |
-Output water is suitable for low sodium diets - Increases heating efficiency - Improves soap efficiency - Calcium retained, good for diet - Low running cost |
- Won’t treat anything but specific hard water problems |
| Water Softeners |
- Prevents lime scale - Increases heating efficiency - Lengthens lifespan of clothes |
- Output water may not be suitable for drinking - Expensive to install and maintain |
| Activated Carbon (AC) Water Filters |
- Effective in removing organic contaminants from water, will also remove chlorine |
- AC filtration does not remove microbes, sodium, nitrates, fluoride, or hardness |
| Ultraviolet (UV) Water Filters |
- Generally kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses - High filtration capacity (10 gallons per minute) |
- Only kills bacteria, doesn’t remove the dead cells and won’t remove other contaminants |
| Water Distillers |
- Mimics the natural water cycle process - Distilled water is almost completely pure, free from all forms of contaminants |
- Low filtration capacity (6 gallons per day) - High running cost (25 cents per gallon) |
| Sand Filters |
- Removes most bacteria and turbity - High filtration capacity - Generally best used for swimming pools and ponds |
- Take up a lot of space - Sulphates and Calcium generally not removed |
| Reverse Osmosis |
- Removes substances that would otherwise cause the water supply to be unhealthy or unappealing, for instance foul tastes, smells or colours - Removes salts and minerals (lead and mercury) |
- Typically reverse osmosis systems will only recover about 5% of the water that passes through them, the remainder of which goes down the drain as waste water. - The storage unit for treated water will support bacteria growth unless regularly disinfected. |