New Technologies to Make Drinkable Tap Water in China
Simple and inexpensive residential water tank monitors can offer peace of mind for thousands of concerned citizens in China who are in need of safe and drinkable tap water.
Water contamination in China’s major cities is a serious concern for its dense populations, making it a basic necessity for households to find ways to ensure that the water coming through their taps is fit for domestic use. Now, simple-to-use and inexpensive technologies that monitor and control water quality in residential roof-top water tanks have entered the Chinese market, making it easier for the residents of Shanghai, Beijing, and other highly populated cities whose water sources are prone to contamination to rest assured that the water at home is safe for hygiene, cooking, and drinking.
It has been widely reported that many of China’s cities have highly polluted waterways due to industrial waste pollution, which makes domestic water vulnerable to industry-produced chemicals. Pollution is a serious concern in Beijing, leading China to develop a new plan to improve that situation over the coming years, according to a Reuters report. And earlier this year, thousands of pig carcasses were found floating in the Huangpu River, Shanghai’s main water source for drinking water, posing a serious health hazard for residents.
As such, residents and visitors to China are mostly advised to use tap water for hygiene only and to use bottled or boiled water for drinking.
Many of the cities’ residential buildings and towers supply domestic water to homes via rooftop water tanks, and in some areas the water is heavily chlorinated for disinfection. Besides the problem of municipal-sourced contamination, water tanks can develop mold or bacteria from foreign organisms. The tanks might be emptied, inspected, and cleaned only once or twice a year, while it takes only one day for water to become contaminated or for its chlorine levels to become unbalanced and unfit for home use.
An efficient and cost-effective way for residents, hotels, and office buildings to continuously monitor the water quality is by installing a water analyzer and controller on-site, such as the Prizma, a patented technology developed by Blue I Water Technologies.
This solution uses an innovative electro-optic test strip technology for monitoring and controlling the water’s chemical levels, such as chlorine and pH. This system is set to automatically test the water in the residential tank at regular intervals (usually once a day) and assures chemical balancing for the water. It is automatically calibrated and alerts management of inadequate disinfection in real time via online reports, allowing for a prompt response to the problem.
“While solving the problem of water contamination might have become a national mission for China, residents still cannot always know whether the water coming into their taps from municipal and national systems is fit for use at all times. They need to have low-cost solutions such as this one to ensure that their home water is clean and safe for use and to feel that they have that under control,” says Stela Diamant, chief technology officer for Blue I Water Technologies.