Water Purification Process: A 12 Step System
DrinkMore Water is distinct from ordinary spring and mineral waters because of the custom-engineered system we use to purify our water. Available for inspection at our state-of-the-art bottling facility, this water purification process incorporates 12 steps designed to deliver exceptional purity and consistent water quality.
Together, these technologies form a comprehensive water treatment system that manages particles, dissolved impurities, and other water contaminants from source water through bottling.
Each stage has a specific purpose. Sediment filtration removes larger particles, ion exchange addresses certain dissolved metals, activated carbon filters reduce chlorine and organic compounds, and reverse osmosis removes dissolved impurities that conventional filtration may leave behind. UV disinfection and ozonation provide additional protection against microorganisms before the finished drinking water is bottled.
Explore our 12-step water purification process
1. Sediment Filtration
Our complex purification process begins with a simple pleated-paper sediment filter. As the first stage of our water filtration system, it traps larger particles such as dirt, sand, slime, and grit before the water reaches more sensitive treatment equipment.
We use a Harmsco Hurricane filter for sediment filtration, with cartridges rated at 10 microns. A micron is one-millionth of a meter, or about 1/25,000th of an inch. For comparison, the human eye can generally see only particles measuring 20 microns or larger.
10 Micron Sediment Filtration System
2. Ion Exchange
Tank used for Ion Exchange
As water passes through the resin, strongly charged metallic ions displace more weakly held sodium and potassium ions. The metallic ions are then retained by the resin. At prescribed intervals based on water volume, the ion-exchange beds are automatically cleaned and regenerated with a concentrated saline solution that carries the accumulated metals away.
This process helps reduce the calcium and magnesium associated with water hardness and scale buildup. It can also reduce selected metals before the water reaches the activated carbon and reverse osmosis stages, helping protect the more sensitive equipment used later in the system.
Deionization is a related process, but it serves a different purpose. While a conventional water softener primarily addresses hardness, deionization uses ion exchange to reduce a broader range of dissolved salts and other charged substances. Our purification process uses ion exchange here as a protective pretreatment step rather than as a substitute for the filtration and reverse osmosis stages that follow.
3. Activated Carbon Towers
After ion exchange, the water moves through oversized beds of granular activated carbon. Carbon filtration uses adsorption to reduce chlorine, along with certain pesticides, herbicides, volatile organic compounds, and other organic contaminants.
Water Carbon Absorption Tower
Activated carbon can also reduce trihalomethanes, or THMs. These compounds can form when chlorine interacts with naturally occurring organic matter during public water treatment. Our two carbon adsorption towers are arranged in series, meaning the water must pass through both before moving to the next step.
Granular activated carbon is also used in many home water filters, refrigerator filters, and ice-maker filters, primarily to improve taste and reduce chlorine. Those smaller systems require timely maintenance and filter replacement to remain effective. Once chlorine has been removed, the downstream equipment must also be kept sanitary to limit bacterial growth.
Our activated carbon filters are routinely backwashed to prevent channeling, and the carbon is completely replaced every year. Trained engineers perform maintenance and filter replacements according to a predetermined schedule.
4. First UV Light Disinfection
UV Light for Water Filtration
Because the DrinkMore Water process removes chlorine from the water, we use chemical-free disinfection technologies to help control microbiological contamination. The first is ultraviolet disinfection.
At this stage, the water passes through a special chamber containing a powerful ultraviolet light source. UV light disrupts the genetic material of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms, preventing them from reproducing. The water then moves through an additional prefilter before reaching reverse osmosis.
Our process includes extensive monitoring and control technology. Because the effectiveness of a UV lamp gradually declines over time, a monitoring device measures its intensity. A new bulb establishes the 100% baseline, and an alarm sounds when the reading declines to 95%, indicating that the bulb needs replacement. We also replace the bulb annually.
5. One-Micron Prefilter
After ultraviolet treatment, the water passes through another set of filters, this time with an absolute one-micron pore size. This filtration step captures particles larger than one micron before the water reaches the reverse osmosis system, including material affected by the preceding UV stage.
6 & 7. Two Passes of Reverse Osmosis
The centerpiece of our water purification system is reverse osmosis. This unit produces about 60 gallons per minute and uses a 20-horsepower pump that sounds like a jet engine. It also sits inside a carefully maintained clean room.
Industrial Reverse Osmosis System
Reverse osmosis is the heart of the DrinkMore Water purification process. Osmosis is a naturally occurring process in which water moves across a membrane in response to differences in concentration and pressure.
Reverse Osmosis Water Quality Panel
Our water passes through approximately 20 layers of reverse osmosis membranes. This stage removes 99.5% of dissolved impurities and plays a central role in producing our clean, consistent taste.
The system also includes automated quality controls. If the monitored water quality varies beyond the established parameters, an alarm is triggered and the system shuts down so the cause can be investigated before production continues.
We also use a second reverse osmosis unit to treat concentrate water from the primary system. This allows us to recover additional water and achieve an overall recovery rate close to 90%, supporting a more efficient purification process.
8. First Ozonation Step
The next chemical-free disinfection step is ozonation. This treatment uses oxygen to help keep the purified water and processing system sanitary.
During ozonation, molecular oxygen (O2) passes through a chamber where it is exposed to a high-voltage electrical charge. This process causes oxygen molecules to split and recombine as ozone (O3), which is then circulated through the purified water.
We then use ozone as the water exits the reverse osmosis unit. Using ozone at this point helps protect downstream parts of the system from microbiological contamination.
9. More Ultraviolet Light
UV Light Water Filtration System
10. More Ozonation
Ozone Generation System
Because ozone is unstable, it naturally returns to ordinary oxygen (O2) after treatment. This provides effective disinfection without leaving a lasting chlorine taste or mineral aftertaste.
Ozone Generators For Water Treatment
At this stage, ozonation takes place in our finished-product storage tanks.
11. Water Storage & Recirculation
After passing through the preceding treatment stages, the water enters storage and recirculation. This part of the system is designed to preserve water quality and prevent contact with materials that could compromise the finished product.
Purified Water Storage Tanks
Our storage tanks and pumps are made of stainless steel. The purified water does not simply sit in storage. Instead, it continuously travels through a recirculation loop, where ozone is periodically added to help maintain sanitary conditions throughout the system.
Flow cells continuously sample the storage tanks. Sensors monitor indicators such as ozone concentration, pH, and conductivity, then send the data to an analyzer panel for display and recording around the clock. This real-time oversight helps our team identify changes that could affect the purity, safety, or taste of the finished water.
Regular water testing complements this continuous monitoring. DrinkMore Water tests samples throughout production and sends samples to independent laboratories for analysis. Together, sensor data and laboratory testing help confirm that the purification process is operating as intended before the water is bottled.
Emerson Flowcell Analyzers
This approach is designed for our municipal water source and commercial bottling facility. Treating city water, designing a system for private well water, or selecting a home water filtration system requires testing the source water first because the appropriate combination of sediment filtration, carbon filtration, water softening, reverse osmosis, and UV disinfection depends on the contaminants present.
12. Purified Water Bottling Process
When a bottle is filled at DrinkMore Water, the water is drawn directly from the continuous recirculation loop and sent to our bottling system. As with the storage system, stainless steel is used on all water-contact surfaces.
Our bottling process has its own dedicated section, where you can see how the finished water moves from the purification system into bottles prepared for delivery.
DrinkMore Water Bottling Facility
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