If tap water meets BIS norms, RO systems will be banned

If tap water meets BIS norms, RO systems will be banned

Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Health

In news:

• Union Environment Ministry has published a draft notification that effectively prohibits users from installing membrane-based water purification, (RO), systems in their homes if the water has been sourced from a supply that meets the Bureau of Indian Standards’ (BIS) drinking water norms.

From Prelims Point of View:

Membrane-based water purification (Osmosis) :

• Osmosis is the naturally occurring tendency for two solutions of differing salinities to want to neutralize.  
• Reverse Osmosis utilizes pressure to overcome the natural tendency and to force pure water through a semi-permeable membrane while concentrating salts and other dissolved solids on the feed side of the membrane.  
• It is commonly used to  generate clean drinking water from brackish groundwater.

Bureau of Indian Standards:

• National Standard Body of India for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods.
• BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways by:

Providing safe reliable quality goods.

Minimizing health hazards to consumers.

Promoting exports and imports substitute.

Control over proliferation of varieties etc through standardization, certification and testing.