According to a report by the World Health Organization, contaminated water is responsible for over 485,000 diarrheal deaths globally every year. This alarming fact alone justifies the critical need for clean drinking water and, by extension, the use of water purifiers. In countries like India, where groundwater contamination, high TDS levels, and seasonal pollutants are common, the need for domestic water purification becomes even more urgent.
This blog explores what a water purifier is for, its purpose, and the various technologies that make it essential in every household. It is especially useful for people looking to install the right kind of purifier at home for long-term health, hygiene, and peace of mind.
A water purifier is a device designed to remove contaminants, impurities, and harmful substances from drinking water. It improves the taste, smell, and safety of water by eliminating particles like sediments, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and dissolved solids. The ultimate goal is to ensure the water is safe for human consumption.
In simpler terms, a water purifier ensures that the water you drink doesn’t harm your health—it turns raw, potentially dangerous water into clean, potable water.
The primary use of a water purifier is to protect you from waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery. However, modern purifiers go beyond microbial filtration. They also:
Remove heavy metals like arsenic, fluoride, and lead
Reduce Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) for better taste and safety
Maintain essential minerals with TDS controllers or mineral cartridges
Remove bad odor and chemical contaminants like chlorine
Improve clarity and texture of water
These functions are particularly important in Indian households, where water sources vary between tap water, borewell, municipal supply, and tanker delivery—each with its own set of risks.
The purpose of purifying water is not just filtration but transformation. Raw water can contain:
Pathogenic bacteria and viruses
Chemical fertilizers from agricultural runoff
Industrial waste
Excess salts and minerals
Purification neutralizes these threats to make the water usable for drinking, cooking, and even baby feeding. The goal is to provide reliable access to safe, clean, and healthy water, regardless of the source.
The aim of a water purifier is to:
Ensure Health Safety – Prevent waterborne illnesses
Enhance Taste – Remove bad smells and metallic taste
Preserve Nutrients – Retain essential minerals
Reduce Dependency on Bottled Water – Offer long-term savings
Adapt to Local Conditions – Work effectively in both urban and rural India
With varying contamination levels across regions, water purifiers are designed to adapt purification techniques based on the TDS and pollutant profile of the source water.
A water purifier for home is tailored for domestic use and is typically compact, user-friendly, and efficient. It comes in various forms:
These are space-saving units best suited for Indian kitchens. Explore available models here:
👉 Wall Mount RO Purifiers
Ideal for rental homes or flexible installations. See options:
👉 Table-Top RO Systems
Perfect for modern modular kitchens with limited wall space. These are increasingly popular in urban Indian homes:
👉 Under Sink RO Systems
These use gravity-based filtration and are great backup systems in low TDS areas or for rural households:
👉 Non-Electric Water Purifiers
These systems offer advanced multi-stage purification with mineral balancing and sleek design:
👉 Imported RO Systems
In India, the use of a water purifier becomes more critical due to:
High fluoride levels in some states
Hard water with excessive calcium and magnesium
Unreliable municipal supply
Poor infrastructure in rural areas
Seasonal diseases like jaundice and diarrhea
A domestic RO or RO+UV purifier becomes a household essential to combat these issues effectively.
Water can be purified using several methods, each suited to different conditions:
Kills bacteria and viruses but does not remove dissolved salts or heavy metals.
Mechanical filters remove dirt and sediments but not microbial or chemical contaminants.
Effective against pathogens but leaves a strong smell and potential harmful by-products.
Uses ultraviolet rays to destroy microorganisms. Ideal for low TDS water.
Removes 90–95% of TDS, heavy metals, and harmful substances. Best for high TDS and mixed-source water.
Parameter | Boiling | Water Purifier (RO/UV/UF) |
---|---|---|
Removes Bacteria | Yes | Yes |
Removes Viruses | Yes | Yes |
Removes Chemicals | No | Yes (RO) |
Removes TDS | No | Yes (RO) |
Retains Minerals | Yes | Yes (with TDS controller) |
Ease of Use | Manual & Time-consuming | Automatic & Convenient |
Suitable for All Sources | No | Yes |
You definitely need a water purifier if:
Your tap water tastes salty, metallic, or smells bad
TDS level is above 300 ppm (use a TDS meter to check)
You rely on borewell or tanker water
You see white scaling on taps or utensils
Children or elderly live in your household
You want to reduce medical risks from contaminated water
Best for high TDS areas. They use a semi-permeable membrane to remove 90%+ dissolved solids and contaminants.
Suitable for municipal water with low TDS but microbial risks.
Work without electricity and remove physical particles and some pathogens.
Non-electric and useful for areas with treated or low-contaminant water.
Check your water source: Borewell, municipal, tanker
Measure TDS level: Use a digital TDS meter
Choose technology accordingly: RO for TDS >500 ppm, UV for microbial concerns, UF for backup
Decide installation type: Wall-mount, under-sink, or table-top
Check certification: Prefer purifiers with NSF, ISI, or similar safety ratings
Long-term exposure to contaminated water can cause:
Gastrointestinal infections
Dental and skeletal fluorosis (due to high fluoride)
Kidney damage (due to heavy metals)
Liver dysfunction
Poor child development
Water purifiers eliminate these health risks by providing consistently clean water suitable for all age groups.
Borewell Water: Often has high TDS, iron, and heavy metals.
Municipal Supply: Treated, but still prone to pipeline contamination.
Tanker Water: Unregulated and often of poor quality.
Given these realities, relying solely on boiling or traditional methods isn’t enough. A modern domestic water purifier is essential.
Aspect | Without Purifier | With Purifier |
---|---|---|
Health Costs | High (due to illness) | Low |
Water Taste | Often unpleasant | Clean and crisp |
Convenience | Manual boiling needed | Auto-on-demand |
Safety from Toxins | Not assured | Assured |
Monthly Expense | Buying bottled water | One-time device + maintenance |
It removes contaminants, improves taste, and protects health by filtering out harmful substances from drinking water.
To make it safe for consumption by removing bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and dissolved solids.
To ensure water is clean, safe, and healthy for drinking and cooking in both urban and rural settings.
RO+UV purifiers are ideal for most homes due to varying water quality and high TDS levels across India.
Boiling, Filtration, Chlorination, UV purification, and Reverse Osmosis (RO).
A water purifier is no longer a luxury—it’s a basic necessity in today’s environment. Whether your water comes from a borewell, a municipal pipeline, or a storage tanker, the risks of contamination are real and consistent.
Choosing the right water purifier for your home ensures that your family stays protected from waterborne diseases, heavy metal toxicity, and the long-term health effects of poor water quality.
To explore systems suited for every Indian household type and water source, check the Domestic RO Water Purifier category for a wide range of reliable, tested products.