We tend to take water for granted, especially in western society, and the benefits of water filtration are frequently overlooked.

Turn on a tap and there it is; flowing effortlessly for drinking, cooking, bathing and cleaning. It’s there for our leisure time too; for fun and exercise in swimming pools, and to educate and amaze us in aquariums and ponds.

Wherever we happen to be in the world, water holds the key to the health and well-being of everyone. Without systems in place to ensure its cleanliness, water can quickly have the opposite effect and become a harbour for a plethora of bugs and bacteria, bringing with them deleterious outcomes.

If you’ve not thought much about why water needs to be filtered, here are five key facts about water filtration and its importance for everyone.

1. Water filtration accessibility

It’s still a little-known fact that around 25% of the world’s population has no access to clean drinking water. Couple this with the fact that around 97% of all available water is either saline or for some reason undrinkable and it stands to reason that making water available for human consumption needs some serious thought. Water filtration systems are essential for the removal of water-borne disease-carrying bacteria, toxins and other harmful elements.

2. Water filtration as a barrier

Hundreds of tons of pollutants leach or are washed into our watercourses every year. Accidental contamination (from chlorine, aluminium or other elements) also happens with widespread consequences such as vomiting and stomach upsets. Secure, reliable, efficient water filtration systems prevent such impurities reaching our taps and keep our drinking water clean and healthy to drink.

3. Water filtration saves lives

Whilst you have been reading this short piece, another child has unfortunately passed away in the developing world from drinking dirty water. Portable water filtration systems being rolled out across developing areas are saving lives by providing cleaner, bacteria-free drinking water.

4. Water filtration for survival

The human brain is around 75% water and our body needs a constant supply of clean healthy water just to function properly. Whilst our immune system can detect and protect us against some bacterial invaders, some contaminants such as the virulent E-coli bug, can cause serious diarrhoea and intestinal infection. It can be found in untreated/unfiltered water containing faecal matter and in contaminated food.

5. Water filtration to stay hydrated

Clean water is a basic human need and is provided in the developed world via water filtration and treatment plants. Whilst you could probably survive for 3 – 4 weeks without food, you would probably die of dehydration after a single week without water. With a growing population and antibiotic-resistant disease on the increase, the need for clean water with bacteria and pollutants effectively filtered out has never been so great.

We all need water and we need it to be healthy. The importance of filtering our water, whether in the UK or overseas, cannot be understated – the removal of harmful toxins, bacteria and particles is essential for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. We also need the naturally occurring minerals that water contains and which some treatments can destroy. This is where Doulton water filtration systems come in to their own … by removing what we don’t want from our drinking water it leaves us with exactly what we need!