UPSC Articles
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.
