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.
