Water purification in Europe

Water is essential for the human body. However, there are significant differences in water quality when comparing different countries. For example, in many Asian countries, tap water is not safe to drink. In Europe, water quality is often much better, but it often contains large amounts of chlorine and other harmful substances. One country known for its clean tap water is the Netherlands. But how clean is Dutch drinking water really? How is the water purified do these purification methods suffice?

Facts and figures

The average water consumption per person in the Netherlands is 134 litres per day, which is equivalent to thirteen buckets! The majority of this drinking water is obtained from groundwater. About a third is surface water from rivers, and one percent is rainwater. This extracted water is not immediately ready to drink. Only after a whole process of softening and purification we can call it drinking water.

Water purification

Dutch drinking water is purified through several steps. First, the water is obtained from the above-mentioned sources. Then, the coarser dirt is removed from the water by adding iron chloride. This substance causes the larger particles to aggregate, making it easier to remove harmful substances from the water. After this "pre-treatment," the water is filtered with sand and gravel. Then, the water flows through a large cellar where ozone is added. This substance breaks down any remaining harmful substances. Finally, the lime is removed from the water, and the water is filtered with carbon. This process takes about three months. After that, the water is safe to drink.

Tap water not as clean as you think

In the Netherlands it may seem very obvious that you can just drink a glass of water straight from the tap. However, there is a whole process involved. When you compare the Netherlands to other countries, they have relatively clean drinking water. Nevertheless, this does not mean that Dutch tap water is entirely free of bacteria and/or unnatural, harmful substances. In fact, it contains more harmful substances than you might think, such as lead, chlorine, and lime. Additionally, Dutch water is increasingly contaminated with medicine residues which can have short- and long term effects on our body. It may have consequences for the vitality of the body and may lead to health issues. Dutch drinking water is known to be one of the best in the world. This raises the question of the quality of drinking water in other European countries.

Making sure you drink pure and clean water

Clean drinking water is essential for everyone, especially if you find it important to take good care of your body. Tap water has been approved by government agencies and deemed safe to drink. However, it can still be made even safer, for example, with an AquaTru water filter. This filters out all the harmful substances from your tap water, allowing you to enjoy clean and delicious drinking water without worrying about harmful substances.