Water purification and enhancement systems

Abstract

Water purification system comprising filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminant in the water to saturate the first medium with a delay prior to saturation of the second medium with a second contaminant.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A water purification system comprising at least two filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminant in the water to saturate the first medium with a delay prior to saturation of the second medium with a second contaminant. 
     
     
         2 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , which is a point of use system. 
     
     
         3 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least two filtration media are located upstream of a water reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , wherein a prefilter is provided immediately upstream of said at least two filtration media for removal of large particles and sediment from the water. 
     
     
         5 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , wherein chlorine and arsenic are contaminates. 
     
     
         6 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , wherein a first filtration media is activated carbon when the first contaminant is chlorine and a second filtration media is activated alumina, granulated ferric oxide and/or granulated ferric hydroxide when the second contaminant is arsenic. 
     
     
         7 . A water purification system comprising:
 at least two filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminant in the water to saturate the first medium with a delay prior to saturation of the second medium with a second contaminant; and   time release capsules to impart flavor to indicate end-point-detection of the filtration media.   
     
     
         8 . A water purification system according to  claim 7 , wherein the time-release capsules are continuous. 
     
     
         9 . A water purification system according to  claim 7 , wherein the time release capsules are abrupt. 
     
     
         10 . A water purification system according to  claim 9 , wherein the abrupt capsules are positioned as a last stage of the system. 
     
     
         11 . A water purification system according to  claim 8 , wherein the continuous capsules are positioned upstream of another media that will saturate at some point, and allow entry of taste into the water. 
     
     
         12 . A water purification system comprising:
 at least two filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminate in the water to be saturated first with a delay before a second contaminate is saturated;   color time release capsules to impart color to indicate end-point-detection of the filtration media.   
     
     
         13 . A water purification system according to  claim 12 , wherein the color time-release capsules are continuous. 
     
     
         14 . A water purification system according to  claim 12 , wherein the time release capsules are abrupt. 
     
     
         15 . A water purification system according to  claim 14 , wherein the abrupt capsules are positioned as a last stage of the system. 
     
     
         16 . A water purification system according to  claim 13 , where the continuous capsules are positioned upstream of another media that will saturate at some point, and allow entry of color into the water. 
     
     
         17 . A water purification system comprising:
 at least two filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminate in the water to be saturated first with a delay before a second contaminate is saturated; and   time release capsules for continuously introducing flavor or a therapeutic substance into the water.   
     
     
         18 . A water purification system according to  claim 17 , wherein the time release capsules are positioned such that the flavor is introduced into the water in a last stage of the system. 
     
     
         19 . A method of purifying water comprising passing water through a system comprising at least two filtration media sized with respect to each other to allow a first contaminate in the water to be saturated first with a delay before a second contaminate is saturated. 
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the water is measured to determine a level of taste imparting compounds and the level of arsenic in the water; the filtration media is tested to determine how long it will take a volume of media to be saturated with taste imparting compounds and with arsenic; and the volumes of the media in the system are chosen to allow the taste imparting compounds in the water to be saturated first with a delay before the arsenic is saturated. 
     
     
         21 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a membrane for filtering out pathogens present in the water, said membrane having pore sizes comparable with or smaller than the pathogen. 
     
     
         22 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , further comprising time release capsules for time releasing disinfection compounds to disinfect the water. 
     
     
         23 . A water purification system according to  claim 21 , wherein the disinfection compounds are selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . A water purification system according to  claim 21  wherein sources of disinfection compounds are selected from the group consisting of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, trichloroisocyanuric acid, sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate, 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, and 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 
     
     
         25 . A water purification system according to  claim 1  further comprising a membrane for filtering out pathogens present in the water and comprising time release capsules for time releasing disinfection compounds to disinfect the water. 
     
     
         26 . A water purification system according to  claim 22  wherein the disinfection time release capsule is a disinfection compound embedded in a polymer matrix. 
     
     
         27 . A water purification system according to  claim 22  wherein the disinfection compound is a halogen disinfection compound which is encapsulated by a polymer coating and released by diffusion through the bulk of the coating. 
     
     
         28 . A water purification system according to  claim 22  wherein the disinfection compound in a slow dissolving non-polymer matrix which permits consistent release over time due to fixed solubility of the host material. 
     
     
         29 . A water purification system according to  claim 1  having a system for arsenic removal with a hydraulic loading rate of below 2.5 GPM/ft2 to extend the media bed lifetime. 
     
     
         30 . A water purification system according to  claim 1 , comprising a small pore membrane filter having a surface area greater than that of a flat sheet through pleating or bundling of fibers. 
     
     
         31 . Method according to  claim 19  further comprising addition of disinfection compounds at a first higher level to achieve disinfection, and then removal to a second lower level prior to ingestion by the user. 
     
     
         32 . Method according to  claim 19 , wherein addition of disinfection compounds is effected via a polymer matrix where the polymer matrix is ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         33 . Method according to  claim 19  further comprising addition of beneficial compounds in a time release form such that they are not removed by the filter by proper selection of media. 
     
     
         34 . Method according to  claim 19  wherein beneficial compounds are introduced in the last stage of the filtration system. 
     
     
         35 . A point of use water purification system comprising:
 at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality; and   time release capsules for continuously introducing flavor or a therapeutic substance into the water.   
     
     
         36 . A point of use water purification system comprising at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality comprising time release capsules for time releasing disinfection compounds to disinfect the water. 
     
     
         37 . A water purification system according to  claim 37 , wherein the disinfection compounds are selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine, iodine and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         38 . A water purification system according to  claim 38 , wherein sources of disinfection compounds are selected from the group consisting of sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite, bromochloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, trichloroisocyanuric acid, sodium dichloroisocyanurate dihydrate, 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, and 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin. 
     
     
         39 . A point of use water purification system comprising at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality comprising a membrane for filtering out pathogens present in the water and comprising time release capsules for time releasing disinfection compounds to disinfect the water. 
     
     
         40 . A water purification system according to  claim 37  wherein the disinfection time release capsule is a disinfection compound embedded in a polymer matrix. 
     
     
         41 . A water purification system according to  claim 37  wherein the halogen disinfection compound is encapsulated by a polymer coating and released by diffusion through the bulk of the coating. 
     
     
         42 . A water purification system according to  claim 37  wherein the disinfection compound is in a slow dissolving non-polymer matrix which permits consistent release over time due to fixed solubility of the host material. 
     
     
         43 . A point of use water purification system with at least one adsorption filtration media to remove arsenic with a hydraulic loading rate of below 2.5 GPM/ft2 to extend the media bed lifetime. 
     
     
         44 . A point of use water purification system with at least one adsorption filtration media to remove arsenic, comprising a small pore membrane filter having a surface area greater than that of a flat sheet through pleating or bundling of fibers. 
     
     
         45 . Method according to  claim 37  further comprising addition of disinfection compounds at a first higher level to achieve disinfection, and then removal to a second lower level prior to ingestion by the user. 
     
     
         46 . A point of use water purification system with at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality, wherein addition of disinfection compounds is effected via a polymer matrix where the polymer matrix is ethylene vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         47 . A point of use water purification system with at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality further comprising addition of beneficial compounds in a time release form such that they are not removed by the filter by proper selection of media. 
     
     
         48 . A point of use water purification system with at least one filtration media to remove a contaminant or improve water quality wherein beneficial compounds are introduced in the last stage of the filtration system.