Sourcing Water
Before water can be filtered, it has to come from somewhere. These are the main ways water is collected or produced in the first place.
Rainwater Harvesting
Rain is collected from rooftops or catchment surfaces and stored in tanks for later use.
Source →Atmospheric Water Generation
A machine cools air below its dew point (like a fridge coil), so water vapor in the air condenses into liquid water — works even in dry climates.
Source →Solar Still (Distillation)
Sunlight heats dirty or salty water under a clear cover; clean water evaporates and condenses on the cover, leaving salt and dirt behind.
Source →Desalination
Seawater is stripped of its salt, either by forcing it through a membrane (reverse osmosis) or by boiling and re-condensing it.
Source →Fog Harvesting
Fine mesh nets placed in foggy coastal or mountain areas catch tiny fog droplets, which trickle down into a collection trough.
Source →Groundwater Wells
Water is pumped up from underground aquifers through drilled boreholes or dug wells.
Source →Filtering & Purifying for Drinking
Once water is collected, it usually needs treatment to remove germs, chemicals, or particles before it's safe to drink.
Boiling
Heating water to a rolling boil kills bacteria, viruses, and parasites — the simplest and oldest method.
Activated Carbon Filter
Porous carbon traps chlorine, odors, and some chemicals as water passes through — common in household jug and tap filters.
Source →Reverse Osmosis
Water is pushed through a very fine membrane under pressure, blocking salts, heavy metals, and most contaminants.
Source →UV Purification
Ultraviolet light damages the DNA of bacteria and viruses so they can't reproduce, without adding any chemicals.
Source →Chlorination
A small, controlled dose of chlorine is added to kill pathogens — the standard method for most city water supplies.
Source →Ceramic Filter
Water passes through a porous clay filter with pores small enough to physically block bacteria and sediment.
Source →Ozonation
Ozone gas is bubbled through water, killing microbes and breaking down contaminants more powerfully than chlorine, then dissipates naturally.
Source →Ultrafiltration / Nanofiltration
Membranes with microscopic pores strain out bacteria, cysts, and larger particles — gentler than reverse osmosis, keeps more minerals.
Source →SODIS (Solar Disinfection)
Clear plastic bottles filled with water are left in direct sunlight for hours — UV rays and heat kill most pathogens, no electricity needed.
Source →Quick Comparison
| Method | What it's good for |
|---|---|
| Boiling | Kills germs, no equipment needed — but doesn't remove chemicals or salt |
| Chlorination | Cheap, kills germs at scale — standard for city water |
| Activated Carbon | Improves taste/odor, removes chlorine — not germs |
| Reverse Osmosis | Removes almost everything, including salt — needs pressure/equipment |
| UV / Ozone | Kills germs without chemicals — needs power, doesn't remove particles |
| SODIS / Solar Still | Works with zero electricity — slow, needs strong sunlight |