Which Water Purifier Is Better for Borewell Water at Home?

The borewell water supply comes from underground, hence it contains more minerals than municipal water. It consists of some characteristics that make it unique, including:

High TDS: The borewell water generally consists more than 500ppm of total dissolved solids, which certainly indicates that the water is completely loaded with minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. Whereas, excess presence of dissolved solids gives water a salty taste and causes scaling in vessels.

Hard Water: The hardness of water occurs due to an excess presence of calcium and magnesium ions. This results in reduced lathering of soap, dryness of skin and hair and scaling in pipelines, geysers, and kettles. 

Presence of heavy metals: According to all the places in India, borewell water might contain iron, arsenic, fluoride, or even lead. Because of which water becomes unsafe to drink as these elements are toxic in nature and not filterable through conventional methods.

• RO (Reverse Osmosis) water purifier is a must if your borewell TDS is above 500 ppm, as it uses a small, nice layer of membrane to remove dissolved salts, heavy metals like lead and arsenic, along with the hardness of water. 
• UV (Ultraviolet)UV uses light to kill bacteria, viruses, and germs, as it does not remove salts, mud, or metals. And, UV alone is not enough for borewell water unless your TDS is below 300 ppm, and the only issue is bacteria.
• UF (Ultrafiltration)UF works like a very fine sieve, as it removes mud, dust, and larger germs, but cannot remove dissolved salts or metals. Therefore, it is useful as a pre-filter with RO or UV for borewell water.
• Copper RO adds copper elements to the water that gives the benefits of copper-enriched water.

RO water purifiers are ideal for borewell water as they address the issues associated that comes with the supply. 

• Firstly, most of the borewell water supply in India consists of TDS that is more than 500 ppm, which results in a salty taste and white scaling. Generally, an RO uses efficient micron membranes that uses a filter that removes dissolved salts such as sodium, calcium, and magnesium. Therefore, the system makes the water soft and protects household appliances and hair. 
• Secondly, borewell water generally comes with metal impurities such as arsenic, lead, fluoride, and iron, and an RO efficiently eliminates these contaminants from the water. In addition, when used along with UV and UF, it eliminates bacteria and dirt too. 

TDS Capacity: The borewell water has high impurity levels, you should select a machine that is rated between 2000 and 2500 ppm TDS capacity. 

Storage Tank Capacity: Areas with borewells experience frequent electricity outages, and therefore, people are advised to select a capacity of 7 to 10 litres if they have a small to medium-sized family.

Pre-filter or Sediment Filter: Borewell water generally contains dirt particles as it is underground, so it is advisable to use an external filter to prevent damage to the membrane and save on maintenance costs.

Service Requirement: The RO membrane in your water purifiers requires servicing every six to twelve months, so you need to have a full assurance of that from the company. 

Electrical & Water Wastage: Mostly RO water purification system generally uses about two to three litres of water to purify at least one litre of water. Therefore, you need to consider an energy-efficient or gravity-based alternative during power cuts.

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• To begin with, there is a high presence of TDS and sodium, which results in a salty taste of water, affecting the taste of tea, coffee, and daal. Kids, in particular, usually do not like it. 
• The second problem is that the water supply mainly consists of hard water, which may result in scaling of vessels, geysers, and taps, clogging pipes and raising electricity bills that nobody wants to face. 
• Thirdly, an excessive amount of calcium and salts is present in the borewell water supply, which results in removing oils from the skin, leading to hair loss and dandruff. 
• Apart from this, bacteria, iron, and even heavy metals lead to stomach problems. In some cases, iron may also lead to reddening and bad smell because of sulphur.

How Can You And Your Family Avoid Such Situations?

• By testing water for TDS and heavy metals that it might be containing. 
• If the water contains more than 1 ppm of iron then you should add an iron-removal filter along with the appliance. 
• You should also use a sediment pre-filter to double the membrane life. 
• Invest in a good pump, as low borewell pressure needs a pump to prevent RO damage.