Even the smallest office in India is known to install a water purifier for commercial use. Though employees often carry their water bottles from home, it behooves the employer to supply an alternative source of water that is equally reliable.
In an office setting, a few parameters of the water purifier become more important such as the storage capacity of the water purifier and the purification technology of the water purifier. Let’s take a look at the pointers to bear in mind when shopping for a water purifier for commercial use.
Storage Capacity
The storage capacity of the water purifier naturally becomes more important when purchasing a water purifier for commercial use as it has to address the needs of a bigger set of people.
You also need to take into account the water purification capacity of the purifier. Employees are pressed for time and in the breaks they take, they would be disappointed if there is no immediate availability of pure water for consumption.
Plumbing and Electricity
Though you are ready to purchase a high-end water purifier, if your plumbing and electricity are not sorted, it would not be possible to maintain the purifier properly. Though there are options like gravity-based water purifiers for places with limited electricity and plumbing, we recommend that you get a high-end water purifier as you are responsible for the health of scores of people working for your organization.
To overcome any hiccups in the supply of electricity and plumbing, however, we suggest that you purchase a water purifier with the largest storage capacity within reach and reasonability.
Purification Technology
As an employer, you need to be doubly sure of the water you are supplying to your employees. Therefore, we recommend that you get a high-end water purifier to overcome any contamination in your water supply, even if sporadically. Alternatively, make it a point to check the Total Dissolved Solids quotient of your water supply frequently to check for any contamination of water in your locality.
The most common purification technologies available for small office setups are:
Reverse Osmosis
This is a widely popular method of purification that works on a principle where the natural concentration gradient applicable in the naturally occurring phenomenon of osmosis is reversed. It uses a semi-permeable membrane with pores that have a diameter in the order of nanometers and filters out more than 95% of the total dissolved solids including organic matter, inorganic matter, microorganisms, etc.
Ultraviolet Filtration
Though RO is effective in filtering out more than 95% of the total dissolved solids, it is often not a fool-proof solution when it comes to eliminating all bacteria and viruses. Here is where Ultraviolet filtration does its magic.
It works with a high-quality UV lamp that is used to treat water and deactivate the nucleic core (DNA) of the microbes, preventing them from multiplying and killing them on the spot. It is often used in conjunction with the Reverse Osmosis module and available in the form of RO + UV water purifiers.
Microfiltration
Microfiltration is a type of filtration physical process where a contaminated fluid is passed through a special pore-sized membrane to separate microorganisms and suspended particles from process liquid. Microfiltration membranes are also used to remove the turbidity of the water, making it more receptive to Ultraviolet filtration.
Material Used
The last thing you want is toxins to seep into your water purifier output from the water purifier itself. When you are responsible for the health of other people working for you, it is better to invest in a good brand like Pureit which uses non-toxic, food-grade, durable engineering-grade material for its wide range of products.
Mineral Enrichment
If you purchase a Reverse Osmosis water purification system, note that the RO membrane cannot tell the good minerals from the bad ones and eliminates more than 95% of the total dissolved solids. One way of ensuring that the mineral enrichment takes place is to invest in a RO unit that uses a TDS modulator. However, it involves the overhead of you having to check the TDS in the water supply in your area and adjusting the modulator for optimal TDS in water (300 ppm).
We recommend that you go for RO with mineralizer cartridges. A public favorite is the Copper RO water purifier from Pureit which infuses fresh Copper ions into the output water. It would not only provide your employees all the goodness of minerals but also help avoid the hassle of them storing water overnight in copper water bottles.
Budget
Though there is a wide range of water purifiers available in the market, we recommend that you think twice before purchasing a low-end option as it is your employees’ health that is at stake here. That way, we truly believe in the adage that health is wealth.
Reliable Service and Easy Maintenance
Since you are in it for the long haul, we suggest that you invest in a brand that has flexible and readily available service. The last thing you want is a disruption in your water supply, something that your employees would come to rely upon. So, go for an annual maintenance contract that covers the parts of your water purifier and gives you the ultimate peace of mind.
