In contemporary times, the most common types of problems which are disturbing the environmentalists are the ones related to pollution. Whether it is air, ground or water, nothing is left untouched by the cruelty of pollution. All the three elements are quintessential for a man’s survival and over pollution of even one of them might make human life a disaster. Of all these elements, water comes out to be the most easily polluted element.

Over time, it has been repeatedly spotted that the same water is being used simultaneously for bathing animals, for one’s own bath, washing clothes, washing utensils and also drinking. This is mostly prevalent in the rural areas. Thus, government in rural as well as urban areas, has provided for such mechanisms which help in filtering the water so that the impurities can be removed and water is rendered safe for being supplied to every household.

Broadly speaking, there are three types of filtering process and filters widely used to get pure water.

• Commercial filters are mostly used when one talks of water in the rivers, lakes and ponds. These water bodies often provide water for the people living in and around that area. As all three water bodies are open air water bodies where water accumulates naturally through rain filtering is very important. Lots of unwanted bacteria, salts, germs, acids and impurities are attached to these waters which need to be cleaned before consuming. Else it might lead to diseases and other associated problems in those who consume it.
• Treatment plants are required in those places where a region or an area gets its drinking water from a tank. Most of the water in these regions is recycled through such plants. That is, the same water is treated again and again and supplied to the houses in that area. These treatment plants are so equipped that they remove the impurities from the water during a span of a fixed number of days and then via huge pipes supply it to the residents.
• The regular water filter is the most commonly used filters in every house today. Even after an initial stage of filtration some areas might not receive pure water. In such circumstances, there is provision for a second round of filtration. This is done via mini water filters installed in most houses. In many areas one can see a predominance of a particular element in water, say iron, to minimize this element as per human requirements; a second round of filtering is needed in many places.

The main work of any water filter is to filter the impurities of the water and make it clean and pure enough so that it can be made fit for drinking by the people. However, one can make out that these waters are not always one hundred percent pure as they seem. Moreover, these filters need regular cleaning and maintenance or else their efficiency in cleaning can also wear away after some time. Also, even before filtering the primary work of the global citizens is to make sure that they do not consciously pollute any water body.