How Many Types of Water Are There?
We cannot think of a day of our life without water. Three-fourths of our earth is water, still, we are facing scarcity of water in our everyday life because not all water can be useful to us.
So, it is important to know how many types of water are there and which water we can use for which purposes. We help you find out all these answers. But the main query is, how many types of water are there? There are mainly three types of water. They are utility grade, working grade, and drinking grade. And among these grades, there are more types of water like tap water, bottled water, spring water, alkaline water, etc.
This is not all, there is a lot more to know about our surrounding water sources. Let’s scroll through this article and get to learn without any more delay.
Three Main Types of Water
Specifically, there are three types of water that we use. Let’s scroll further to know details about the types of water that we use in our everyday life.
Utility Grade
This is the type of water that you use in cleaning our house and car, watering your plants and lawns. You don’t need to purify the water before using it because it won’t cause any harm to the aspects we use the water in.
This type of water might contain the odor, rust building components, and most probably be hard in texture and it is not recommended for drinking.
Working Grade
Working grade water is the type of water that we use in your household. The water comes through your plumbing system and is used in your washing machine, dishwasher, shower, bathtub, kitchen sink, etc.
As you use this water in your day-to-day life, you should look out for contaminants that can come with the water. You might need to purify the water before you use it to be aware of harmful components that can cause skin problems or other health hazards.
The contaminants found in water can also leave build-up, staining, or bad odors behind. Ergo, it can be very difficult to live with such a water supply and in that case, you need to install a water purification system to get a supply of uncontaminated water.
Drinking Grade
This is the highest grade water possible out there used for everyone’s drinking purpose. You must always be conscious about the quality of water you are consuming because unsafe water can cause great harm to your body. Purifying your water prior to drinking is important to eradicate any kind of contamination.
If you are using municipal water then you may think you don’t need purification but there is still a chance of contamination even after the chlorination of the water. So, be careful and use the safest water for drinking.
Other Specific Types of Water
Despite the different grades, there are more types of water that we use in day-to-day life. So, let’s talk about these specific types of water.
Tap Water
The water we get in our houses from kitchen and bathroom faucets is tap water. Many people use it as their drinking water but it is not often purified enough for drinking purposes. You may install a POU reverse osmosis system to your faucet to get a safe drinking water supply.
Sometimes area authorities chlorinate the water so that you can drink it safely, but there is still a chance that the water contains harmful contaminants that affect your body. So, be careful about your water consumption. Make sure your water is completely safe for drinking.
Mineral Water
We can easily figure out from the name that mineral water is high in minerals. Mineral water is extorted from underground sources, and that’s why the water contains high mineral contents.
Because of the minerals, the water has a bit of a salty taste, and many people like mineral water because of it. The number of minerals can vary for different companies because of their natural water collection resources. Different places have different levels of minerals in the water.
Well Water
Many areas get water supply from well water. The water comes from underground sources by digging deep. For this reason, the water is often not very safe for drinking as there might be harmful contaminants in the water.
So, if you have a well water supply at your home, you need to install a purification system in your house in order to get a safe water supply for drinking and everyday use.
Spring Water
Springwater is the most popular out there among the drinking water sources because of its natural refreshing taste. Spring is a surface puddle of water that is created by hoarding rainwater underground. Springwater does not go through any processing but it’s still safe for drinking and other purposes.
Sparkling Water
Sparkling water is produced by putting the water under pressure with carbon dioxide. That is why sparkling water is also called carbonated or soda water. People actually drink this water only for refreshment purposes.
Flavored or Infused Water
Flavored water uses artificial flavorings to make the water tasty. Artificial sweeteners, sugar, or flavors are included in this type of water.
Bottled Water
We are using bottled water every day in our life. Most of the drinking water like mineral water, spring water, sparkling water, flavored water, etc. are sold as bottled water. Bottled water is supposed to be sealed and packed up in a sanitary container for a safe water consumption experience for the users. Sometimes there are added minerals to the bottled water for your health benefit.
Distilled Water
Distilled water refers to the water which has been demineralized. Distilled water goes through such a purification process that removes any kinds of salts and minerals from the water and leaves pure H2O behind.
If you completely vaporize some water and differentiate the steam then you will get distilled water. This water has no taste or any kind of health benefits.
Purified Water
When water is purified through a mechanical process to remove any kind of harmful contaminants, that is called purified water.
If your usage water has gone through any kind of filtration process, it can be called purified water. It can be your tap water that has been purified through the municipal or your home reverse osmosis system.
Alkaline Water
Alkaline water is higher in pH level than our normal drinking water. Our usual drinking water has a pH level of 7 whereas alkaline water has 8 or 9. A pH level usually determines the acidic or alkaline a substance is.
The process of producing alkaline water is called electrolysis. It can also be produced naturally by picking up minerals from passing through rocks.
Purposes of Different Types of Water
Each kind of water has individual purposes. Not every kind of water can be used in all aspects of life. Let’s see the purposes of different kinds of water.
Purposes of Tap Water
- Tap can be used for all purposes.
- From drinking to washing dishes, cooking, cleaning the house, and in every household work you can use tap water.
Purposes of Mineral Water
- The only purpose of mineral water is for drinking.
- Mineral water tastes good and works great for your thirst.
Purposes of Spring Water
- Besides drinking, spring water is used in brewing coffee or tea.
- Most of the users of spring water only use it for drinking and rely on municipal water for other household work.
Purposes of Purified Water
- We use purified water for drinking, cooking and other everyday household works.
- Except for those, it is also used in medical, laboratory, and industrial works.
Purposes of Distilled Water
- Distilled water is not suitable for drinking.
- It is usually used in medical and laboratory facilities for exceptional purity.
Purposes of Bottled Water
- The primary purpose of bottled water is for drinking.
- It is also used as first aid because it works well in washing cuts and wounds.
Purposes of Alkaline Water
- The higher pH level of alkaline water neutralizes the acid in our body.
- Alkaline water works well for people suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, acid reflux, and diabetes.
Pros and Cons of Different Kinds of Water
There are advantages and disadvantages to anything you use. Even another name of life, water has its own pros and cons.
Tap Water
- Tap water can be used for any purpose.
- It is safe for drinking and household chores.
- Sometimes plastic particles can be found in tap water.
- Public water supply can contain undesired substances like pesticides, aluminum, industrial residue, etc.
Mineral Water
- Mineral water contains helpful minerals that are helpful for your health.
- Minerals in water add a nice taste to the water.
- Mineral water can be costly compared to tap water.
- It may contain some harmful minerals too.
Spring Water
- Springwater is relatively clean and free of harmful toxins.
- It also contains helpful minerals for your body.
- Springwater is pretty available as bottled water.
- Springwater can be pricier than tap water.
- As spring water is raw and unfiltered, it can have some potential health risks.
Sparkling Water
- Sparkling water has a different mouth to feel a flatwater texture.
- It can be used as a welcome drink as it has a fizzy taste without using any sugar or artificial sweetener.
- It can also provide health-promoting minerals with carbonation.
- Sparkling water is pretty expensive.
- Even though sometimes it may contain some minerals it may not really have any health benefit.
Distilled Water
- This is only useful in medical and laboratory works for its extreme purity.
- You can use it if you have no other pure water supply.
- Distilled water is not really beneficial to health as it doesn’t contain any vitamins or minerals.
- Sometimes it can pull off minerals from your body and that can be harmful to your health, especially your teeth.
Purified Water
- Purified water is free from any kind of harmful contaminants so it is great for health.
- It is very safe to use if your primary source of water is contaminated.
- Sometimes with potentially harmful contaminants, useful minerals and fluoride are also removed from purified water.
- If your water is too pure, it can take away the necessary vitamins and minerals from your body.
Flavored or Infused Water
- Flavored water is a tasty alternative to plain water.
- Because of its taste, you can consume a lot more than plain water.
- Flavored water often contains sugar or artificial sweetener which can be harmful to health.
- Too much intake of flavored water can help in weight gaining or have a negative effect on diabetes.
- Some people may be allergic to artificial sweeteners.
Alkaline Water
- The high pH level of alkaline water reduces the acid level of our body.
- Some people claim that it causes to slow the aging process.
- Some people say it can prevent cancer, though it doesn’t have much medical proof.
- It can lower the stomach acidity too much which can lead to an increase in harmful bacteria.
- Alkaline water can cause metabolic alkalosis which can make you nauseous and vomit.
How to Treat Your Water to the Right Grade
The quality of your supplied water depends on the area you live in and the main source of water of that area and your house. If you are living in a city then probably you are using the municipal water which is already purified for you by the chlorination process. But if you are skeptical about the quality of the water, you can install a purification system in your house.
For utility grade, you don’t actually need it to be purified. In this case, you don’t have to scratch your head thinking over the quality of the water. But for working grade water usage, you need to test the quality of the water if it contains any harmful substances like arsenic, nitrates, etc. Because these types of toxins are not only harmful to health, it also causes skin damages and horrifying diseases. You can get a water purification installed in your house for a better water supply. For the safest water supply, you can install the RO system in your house.
Installing the RO system in your house can be very expensive but you will come to see that it is a great investment for your house and your own safety. And also it saves you a lot more money than buying bottled water.
Final Words
Hope we could help you learn how many types of water there are. Now you can easily decide which one will be beneficial to you. Whichever kind of water you use, do not waste good water.
You may think you have plenty of water supply but we have very little source of usable water. And it is decreasing day by day. So be careful and sensible when you are using water.
