History of Water Testing and Treatment
Water testing and filtration are crucial parts of the entire water treatment process to make it safe for drinking. This practice dates back some 4,000 years ago when people believed that clear-looking water is safe for drinking until they got sick. In their effort to disinfect, they resorted to boiling their water and even allowing it to sit a while to allow the sediments to settle. It was only later in the 5th century BC that Hippocrates was able to develop the concept of passing water through a cloth to remove silt and other sediments. But what about those contaminants that are not visible by the naked eye?
Thanks to the invention of the first multi-stage filter and microscope in the late 1600s. Through the microscope, microscopic bacteria and other particles present in water were discovered; and the multi-stage filter helped make water cleaner.
Fast forward in the mid 1700s, the first patent for a water filter was given to Joseph Amy. Layers of wool, sponge, and charcoal proved useful in purifying water; hence the first water filters were made available for sale in 1750.
In 1804, the first water treatment facility was built in Scotland then in Paris in 1806, using a settling process to remove large residues then letting water pass through sand and charcoal filters. For a while people thought it was enough to clean their water until 1854 when a major cholera outbreak hit across London prompting the health authorities to take things more seriously; and resorted to using chlorine and ozone to treat water.
Through the years, water treatment technology continues to improve; and more and more cities were building water treatment facilities, resulting to decreased cholera and typhoid outbreaks.
In the 1940s, the desalination equipment was invented. During this time also, the U.S. Public Health Service created the first standards for drinking water which led to the approval of membrane filtration process in 1957; and in 1974 the Safe Drinking Water Act paved the way for continued improvements in water filtration and treatment.
Water testing and treatment is considered as one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. In the U.S., where tap water is considered safe for drinking, its disinfection has played a critical role in improving the quality of water to make it safe for drinking.
Unfortunately, pollution and global warming continue to spoil our water resources. Industrialization brought about more noxious wastes that contaminated our land and waterways. That is why depending on the water condition in a certain region, municipal water providers use higher concentrations of chlorine to disinfect water than other areas. Thanks to modern filtration and treatment breakthroughs, more people have access to clean water, and less water-borne diseases. But can it get any better? Of course!
Despite going through state-of-the-art disinfection processes, water supplied by municipal water providers still contain traces of minerals that that may be harmful to their health. Increased demand for home water test kits prove that people are have become more conscious and wary of the quality of water their drink; and more and more people have resorted to home water filtration systems to further purify their water.
From bulky contraptions, home water filters now come in compact and nice designs to complement your homes. Like SJ Wave’s plug-and-play Faucet Water Filter that effectively removes chlorine taste and smell, traces of metal and other harmful minerals while leaving the beneficial ones making clean water even cleaner. Visit the SJ Wave website and learn more about water testing and home water filtration to make sure you only drink clean, pure, and healthy water.
