Water purification system

Abstract

The present invention provides a water purification system that can add mineral components to the water to be treated, purifies water that is not suitable for drinking to a level suitable for drinking, and prevents the consumption of various filters when the treated water is used for purposes where it is not necessary to make it suitable for drinking. [Solution] The water purification system includes a water treatment introduction route 20 for introducing water to be treated, a mineral addition means 30 for adding mineral components to the water to be treated introduced by the water treatment introduction route 20, a drinking water delivery route 50 connected downstream of the mineral addition means 30 for purifying the water to be treated after passing through the mineral addition means 30 to a drinking water level, a non-drinking water delivery route 60 connected downstream of the mineral addition means 30 for delivering the water to be treated after passing through the mineral addition means 30 as is, and a route switching means 40 that can selectively switch the route connected downstream of the mineral addition means 30 between the drinking water delivery route 50 and the non-drinking water delivery route 60.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a water purification system that treats raw water such as rainwater to make it suitable for drinking water and the like.

Background Art

[0002] Japan is one of the countries with a large amount of precipitation globally. Therefore, in Japan, it is rare to feel a shortage of water up close. However, if there are long periods without rain, water intake restrictions may be imposed. Also, in Japan, there are still regions suffering from chronic water shortages. For example, Kagawa Prefecture has relatively little precipitation in Japan and has a terrain with few mountains. Since rainwater flows directly into the sea soon after it falls, water shortage problems often occur. Furthermore, Japan is a country prone to disasters such as earthquakes. During disasters, water supply may be cut off and it may take time to restore. Moreover, in places where there is no original water supply (such as mountain huts in highlands), it is difficult to obtain drinking water and the like.

[0003] In addition, looking overseas, there are many countries where tap water is contaminated and cannot be used as drinking water. For example, in India, it is considered that 70 - 80% of surface water is contaminated by domestic sewage and industrial wastewater, and it is said that about 200,000 people lose their lives every year due to insufficient access to drinking water.

[0004] Thus, the water shortage problems that can occur in Japan and the world can be alleviated if there is a water purification system that can purify raw water such as rainwater on - site to a level where it can be used as drinking water or domestic water. In view of such an actual situation, various water purification systems have been proposed so far.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a mobile water purification system that can be mounted on a truck, as shown in Figure 1 of the same document, and includes, as shown in Figure 2 of the same document, a coagulant adding device 4, 5, 6 for adding a coagulant to raw water (water to be treated), a storage tank 8 for storing mixed water in which raw water (water to be treated) and coagulant are mixed, a first filter 9 immersed in the mixed water in the storage tank 8, a second filter 14 for further precision filtering of the filtered water obtained from the first filter 9, and a third filter 20 for separating pure water from the filtered water obtained from the second filter. The third filter 20 uses a reverse osmosis membrane.

[0006] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 proposes a compact drinking water production water treatment system that can be mounted on a high-mobility vehicle and, as shown in Figure 1 of the same document, is equipped with two RO membrane devices (first RO membrane device 8 and second RO membrane device 13). In the drinking water production water treatment system of the same document, if the water to be treated is seawater, the water to be treated is passed through two RO membrane devices (first RO membrane device 8 and second RO membrane device 13) to produce drinking water, and if the water to be treated is freshwater, the water to be treated is passed through only one RO membrane device (first RO membrane device 8) to produce drinking water. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-071567 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4113568 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-172829 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] Both the mobile water purification equipment described in Patent Document 1 and the water purification system described in Patent Document 2 utilize reverse osmosis membranes and can purify the water to a near-pure level. However, in water filtration systems using reverse osmosis membranes, a large amount of wastewater is generated to prevent clogging of the reverse osmosis membrane. Specifically, 30-50% of the water supplied to the reverse osmosis membrane is discarded.

[0009] Furthermore, water purification systems using reverse osmosis membranes have the drawback of removing even the mineral components contained in the treated water, resulting in water that is not tasty after purification. Drinking water tastes better when it contains a certain amount of minerals such as calcium, giving it a smoother mouthfeel. In addition, it is known that water treated with reverse osmosis membranes is highly corrosive and can easily corrode the pipes and other infrastructure through which it flows.

[0010] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 1 of Patent Document 3, the applicants propose a water filtration system to produce drinking water by adding rock extract (minerals) in a mineral supply device MDI to water to be treated after it has passed through a first filter FL1 (debris filter), thereby coagulating foreign matter contained in the water to be treated, and then passing the treated water through a second filter FL2 (coagulation filter) and a third filter FL3 (coagulation filter). Upstream of the second filter FL2 (coagulation filter), a primary tank 20 is provided, and upstream of the third filter FL3 (coagulation filter), a secondary tank 30 and a bubble supply device FB (fine bubble generator) are provided. The primary tank 20 is for mixing the water to be treated with the rock extract (minerals). The secondary tank 30 functions as a buffer tank for temporarily storing the water to be treated. The bubble supply device FB (fine bubble generator) generates fine bubbles in the water to be treated to coagulate even smaller particles contained in the water to be treated.

[0011] In the water filtration system described in Patent Document 3, bacteria and other contaminants in the water to be treated (non-drinking water such as river water, lake water, rainwater, and muddy water) can be removed by adding a rock extract (mineral components) to the water and passing it through a second filter FL2 (coagulation filter). Furthermore, by generating fine bubbles in the water to be treated and passing it through a third filter (coagulation filter), even fine particles that could not be removed by the second filter FL2 can be thoroughly removed. Therefore, non-drinking water such as river water, lake water, rainwater, and muddy water can be purified to a level where it can be used as drinking water. Moreover, since a certain amount of mineral components can be left in the drinking water, it is possible to produce delicious drinking water.

[0012] However, the water filtration system described in Patent Document 3 requires the use of an expensive fine bubble generator. In addition, it is necessary to provide multiple tanks (primary tank 20 and secondary tank 30) in addition to the tank for storing the water to be treated before treatment (non-drinking water tank 10). Therefore, there is a problem in that it is difficult to design the water filtration system to be compact. Furthermore, if the water to be treated does not need to be made drinkable (for example, if the water to be treated is used for a home garden, etc.), the system is over-specified and there is a problem in that various filters (the first filter FL1, the second filter FL2, the third filter FL3, etc. mentioned above) are wasted.

[0013] This invention was made to solve the above problems and provides a water purification system that can add mineral components to the water to be treated, purify water that is not suitable for drinking to a level suitable for drinking, and prevent the consumption of various filters when the treated water is used for applications where it is not necessary to make it suitable for drinking. Another objective of this invention is to provide such a water purification system with a compact design without using reverse osmosis membranes or fine bubble generators. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The above issues are, The water to be treated is introduced via a route for introducing the water to be treated, A mineral addition means for adding mineral components to the water to be treated that has been introduced into the water to be treated route, A drinking water delivery route connected downstream of the mineral addition means, which delivers the treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means while purifying it to drinking water level, A non-drinking water delivery route connected downstream of the mineral addition means, which delivers the treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means as is, A route switching means is provided that can selectively switch the route connected downstream of the mineral addition means between a drinking water delivery route and a non-drinking water delivery route. A water purification system characterized by having This is solved by providing [a solution].

[0015] In this way, by having a structure that allows switching between a drinking water delivery route and a non-drinking water delivery route, when the treated water is used for purposes where it does not need to be made suitable for drinking, the treated water can be delivered using the non-drinking water delivery route instead of the drinking water delivery route. This prevents the consumption of various filters installed in the drinking water delivery route. In the following, the state in which the treated water (drinking water) is delivered (supplied) using the drinking water delivery route will be referred to as the "drinking water supply mode," and the state in which the treated water (non-drinking water) is delivered (supplied) using the non-drinking water extraction route will be referred to as the "non-drinking water supply mode."

[0016] Furthermore, since the mineral addition means is located upstream of both the non-drinking water supply route and the drinking water supply route, mineral components can be added to the treated water in both the drinking water supply mode and the non-drinking water supply mode. In other words, in both the drinking water supply mode and the non-drinking water supply mode, the treated water becomes so-called "mineral water" containing mineral components.

[0017] Therefore, in drinking water supply mode, the treated water (drinking water) after purification can be made to have a smooth taste and be delicious. On the other hand, in non-drinking water supply mode (for example, when the treated water (non-drinking water) after purification is used in a home garden), it is possible to not only increase the sugar content and flavor of cultivated crops (vegetables, fruits, etc.) but also reduce residual pesticides in the cultivated crops. In addition, in the water purification system of the present invention, the pipes and other components through which the treated water flows can be made less susceptible to corrosion in both drinking water supply mode and non-drinking water supply mode.

[0018] Furthermore, the water purification system of the present invention can sufficiently filter water to be treated (non-drinking water), such as rainwater, to drinking water levels without using a reverse osmosis membrane. As a result, no wastewater is generated, and the water to be treated can be effectively utilized. In addition, mineral components contained in the water to be treated are less likely to be removed, and the above-mentioned effects due to mineral components are more easily achieved.

[0019] Furthermore, the water purification system of the present invention does not require the installation of tanks equivalent to the primary and secondary tanks described above. Also, the water purification system of the present invention does not require the installation of a fine bubble generator. Therefore, the water purification system can be designed compactly and transported on the back of a truck or other vehicle. This makes the water purification system highly valuable in emergencies such as disasters, as it can be quickly transported to the affected area.

[0020] Incidentally, the mineral component added to the water to be treated is not particularly limited, but is preferably a rock extract. Here, the "rock extract" refers to a liquid obtained by dissolving a crushed product of rock in an inorganic acid, performing heat treatment, and removing the precipitate by filtration. As described above, the rock extract is directly extracted from the rock and is primarily extracted from the extraction source (rock). Therefore, it is possible to extract the mineral component much more easily than when extracting the mineral component from extraction sources such as deep ocean water or organisms such as animals and plants. In addition, it is possible to extract a variety of mineral components. Furthermore, by increasing the amount of the inorganic acid, the temperature of the heat treatment can be increased, and the mineral components contained in the rock can be surely and efficiently extracted according to their content balance. When this rock extract (ionized mineral component) is added to the water to be treated, minute foreign substances (minute organic substances, bacteria, etc.) in the water to be treated are inactivated (decomposed), aggregated, and precipitated. Therefore, by removing this aggregate (precipitate), it is possible to obtain clean drinking water free from minute foreign substances such as minute organic substances and bacteria.

[0021] Such mineral addition means for adding the mineral component to the water to be treated is not particularly limited, but preferably has a rock extract storage tank for storing the rock extract and a drip device for taking out the rock extract from the rock extract storage tank and dripping it into the water to be treated. Thereby, it becomes possible to add the mineral component to the water to be treated at low cost and easily.

[0022] In the water purification system of the present invention, the drinking water delivery route through which the water to be treated flows in the drinking water supply mode is not particularly limited as long as it can purify the water to be treated to a level suitable for drinking, but preferably aggregates minute foreign substances contained in the water to be treated and removes the aggregates. This is because adding the mineral component to the water to be treated makes it easier to aggregate minute foreign substances contained in the water to be treated.

[0023] Aggregation and removal of minute foreign substances contained in the water to be treated are, for example, in the drinking water delivery route, Meltblown filter and A hollow fiber membrane filter located downstream of the meltblown filter, An activated carbon filter located downstream of the hollow fiber membrane filter and This becomes possible by providing a system. This allows for thorough filtration of treated water, such as rainwater, to a level where it can be used as drinking water. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to provide a water purification system that can add mineral components to the water to be treated, purify water that is not suitable for drinking to a level suitable for drinking, and prevent the consumption of various filters when the treated water is used for applications where it is not necessary to make it suitable for drinking. Furthermore, it is possible to provide such a water purification system with a compact design without using reverse osmosis membranes or fine bubble generators. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0025] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of a water purification system according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] The water purification system of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The configuration described below is merely a preferred embodiment, and the technical scope of the water purification system of the present invention is not limited to the configuration described below. The water purification system of the present invention can be modified as appropriate without impairing the spirit of the invention.

[0027] 1. Overview of the water purification system Figure 1 shows an example of a water purification system according to the present invention. The water purification system of the present invention is designed to make water suitable for use as drinking water or water for home gardens by subjecting water to be treated to predetermined treatments such as purification. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the water purification system comprises a water to be treated storage tank 10, a water to be treated introduction route 20, a mineral addition means 30, a route switching means 40, a drinking water delivery route 50, and a non-drinking water delivery route 60.

[0028] The following describes each component of the water purification system of this embodiment, starting from the water to be treated storage tank 10.

[0029] 1.1 Water tank to be treated The treated water storage tank 10 is for pre-storing the water to be purified. Whether or not the water to be treated is potable is irrelevant to the water to be stored in the treated water storage tank 10. In this embodiment, a rainwater guide channel (pipe or tube) connected to the rain gutter of a house or the like is connected to the top of the treated water storage tank 10, so that rainwater is stored in the treated water storage tank 10. A valve V1 is provided near the bottom of the treated water storage tank 10, and when this valve V1 is opened, the water to be treated in the treated water storage tank 10 flows out into the treated water introduction channel L1, which will be described later.

[0030] The capacity of the water to be treated storage tank 10 is not particularly limited, but if it is too small, the water to be treated will only be purified little by little. For this reason, the capacity of the water to be treated storage tank 10 is usually 100L or more. Preferably, the capacity of the water to be treated storage tank 10 is 200L or more, and more preferably 300L or more. However, if the capacity of the water to be treated storage tank 10 is made too large, the water purification system will become large. For this reason, the capacity of the water to be treated storage tank 10 is usually 2000L or less, and preferably 1000L or less.

[0031] Incidentally, the treated water storage tank 10 can also be configured to receive tap water or groundwater through a separate system from the rainwater guide channel mentioned above. When the water level in the treated water storage tank 10 falls below a predetermined level, tap water or groundwater can be added to replenish it. This ensures that a constant amount of treated water is always stored in the treated water storage tank 10. Therefore, even if there are consecutive days without rain, the water purification system can purify water up to the storage capacity of the treated water storage tank 10. This can be achieved by installing a ballcock mechanism, similar to those used in flush toilets, inside the treated water storage tank 10.

[0032] 1.2 Water Treatment Introduction Route The treated water introduction route 20 is for guiding the treated water in the treated water storage tank 10 to the water purification system downstream of the treated water storage tank 10. In this embodiment, the treated water introduction route 20 is composed of a treated water introduction channel L1 (the channel between the valve V1 and the three-way joint F1), a filter 21, and a pump 22 interposed in the treated water introduction channel L1.

[0033] The filter 21 is for removing relatively large debris and other particles contained in the water to be treated that flows through the water to be treated introduction channel L1. In this embodiment, a screen filter is used as the filter 21. The pump 22 is for pumping the water to be treated from the water to be treated storage tank 10. This pump 22 is driven by electricity stored in the battery 24. A converter 23 for power conversion is provided between the pump 22 and the battery 24.

[0034] Various commercially available pumps can be used as pump 22. The processing capacity of pump 22 is not particularly limited, but typically, a pump capable of transporting the water to be treated at a flow rate (pump flow rate) of 1,000 to 10,000 L / h is used. In the water filtration system of this embodiment, a pressure pump is used for pump 22, and its pump flow rate is 1,134 L / h.

[0035] In this embodiment, a three-way joint F1 is provided downstream of the pump 22 in the treated water introduction channel L1, and a treated water introduction channel L2, separate from the treated water introduction channel L1, is connected to this three-way joint F1. A valve V2 is provided near the three-way joint F1 in the treated water introduction channel L2. Tap water or groundwater flows through this treated water introduction channel L2.

[0036] This is because, as already mentioned, there are countries where tap water or groundwater is not suitable for drinking. By providing a separate water treatment introduction channel L2, even such tap water can be purified to a level suitable for drinking. Furthermore, even when tap water or groundwater is normally suitable for drinking, in the event of a disaster such as an earthquake, the water may become cloudy and unsuitable for drinking. In such cases, the tap water can be purified to a level suitable for drinking. When purifying the tap water flowing through the water treatment introduction channel L2 as treated water, the valve V1 at the bottom of the water treatment storage tank 10 is closed, and the valve V2 of the water treatment introduction channel L2 is opened.

[0037] 1.3 Means of adding minerals The mineral addition means 30 is for adding mineral components to the water to be treated introduced through the water to be treated introduction route 20. This mineral addition means 30 is provided in the mineral addition channel L3 (the channel between the three-way joint F1 and the three-way joint F2). The specific configuration of the mineral addition means 30 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the mineral addition means 30 is composed of a rock extract storage tank 31 and a drip device 32.

[0038] The rock extract storage tank is for storing rock extracts containing mineral components. The rock extract is a liquid obtained by crushing rocks, dissolving the crushed material in inorganic acid, heating it at 100-150°C for 8-12 hours, and removing the precipitate by filtration. Because this rock extract is primarily extracted from the source (rock), it contains a wide variety of mineral components.

[0039] Suitable rocks for extracting the rock extract include greenstones whose main components are chlorite, epidote, or actinolite, and / or maifan stone, which is a type of quartz porphyry or granophyre. Mineral components such as sulfur, iron, aluminum, magnesium, potassium, titanium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, and calcium can be extracted from greenstones. On the other hand, mineral components such as silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, sodium, potassium, titanium, phosphorus, and manganese can be extracted from maifan stone.

[0040] Rock extracts obtained from greenstone and maifan stone contain, for example, the components shown in Table 1 below, at the concentrations shown in the table. Actual components and concentrations vary depending on the location where the rock (greenstone, maifan stone, etc.) was collected, the extraction method, and the extraction conditions. Actual rock extracts also contain other components not shown in Table 1 below, albeit at lower concentrations. [Table 1]

[0041] Among the mineral components contained in the rock extract, sulfur, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and potassium are presumed to be particularly effective. In Table 1 above, the mass ratio of sulfur, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and potassium is approximately 32:5:2:1:1. Using sulfur as the base, for every 100 parts by mass of sulfur, there are approximately 16 parts by mass of iron, approximately 6 parts by mass of aluminum, and approximately 3 parts by mass each of magnesium and potassium. It is thought that the rock extract can exert its function if the proportion of each component relative to 100 parts by mass of sulfur is in the range of 10-20 parts by mass of iron, 5-10 parts by mass of aluminum, and 1-5 parts by mass each of magnesium and potassium. It is considered more preferable for the rock extract to contain titanium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, and calcium in addition to sulfur, iron, aluminum, magnesium, and potassium.

[0042] The amount of rock extract added to the water to be treated is not particularly limited, but if the amount of rock extract added is too small, the coagulation described above may not occur efficiently. It is preferable to keep the dilution ratio of the rock extract by the water to be treated to 40,000 times or less (which means the ratio of rock extract to the total mass of the water to be treated after addition should be 0.01% or more). However, adding too much rock extract to the water to be treated will only increase the consumption of rock extract and will not be very meaningful. For this reason, it is preferable to keep the dilution ratio of the rock extract by the water to be treated to 500 times or more (which means the ratio should be 2% or less).

[0043] The drip device 32 is used to extract the rock extract from the rock extract storage tank 31 and drip it into the water to be treated flowing through the mineral addition channel L3. Various types of drip devices 32 can be used. 、 In this embodiment, a flow-proportional pump manufactured by Jiayitong is used as the drip device 32. This flow-proportional pump can dilute the rock extract at a dilution ratio of 50 to 500 times within a flow rate range of 20 to 2500 L / h. This makes it possible to add the rock extract at a low cost.

[0044] Here, if it is desired to further dilute the rock extract before adding it to the water to be treated, or if a high degree of precision is required in the dilution ratio of the rock extract to the water to be treated, an electromagnetic metering pump can be used as the drip device 32, although this will be somewhat more expensive. By using an electromagnetic metering pump as the drip device 32, it is possible to dilute the rock extract with high precision at a dilution ratio of approximately 10,000 times.

[0045] 1.4 Flow path switching means The flow path switching means 40 is for selectively switching the route (flow path) connected to the downstream side (three-way joint F2) of the mineral addition means 40 between the drinking water delivery route 50 (drinking water delivery flow path L5) and the non-drinking water delivery route 60 (non-drinking water delivery flow path L6). In this embodiment, the flow path switching means 40 is composed of a valve V3 provided near the three-way joint F2 in the drinking water delivery flow path L5 and a valve V4 provided near the three-way joint F2 in the non-drinking water delivery flow path L6.

[0046] Both valves V3 and V4 are on-off valves similar to valves V1 and V2 described above. When valve V4 is closed and valve V3 is opened, the mineral addition means 40 is connected to the drinking water delivery route 50, and the treated water flowing through the mineral addition channel L3 flows through the drinking water delivery channel L5. On the other hand, when valve V3 is closed and valve V4 is opened, the mineral addition means 40 is connected to the non-drinking water delivery route 60, and the treated water flowing through the mineral addition channel L3 flows through the non-drinking water delivery channel L6.

[0047] Thus, in this embodiment, two on-off valves (valves V3, V4) were used as the flow path switching means 40, but it is also possible to replace them with a single flow path switching valve. In other words, even if a flow path switching valve such as a three-way valve is installed at the position of the three-way joint F2, it is possible to switch the route connected to the mineral addition means 40.

[0048] 1.5 Drinking water distribution routes The drinking water delivery route 50 is for delivering treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means 40, while purifying it to a level suitable for drinking. In this embodiment, the drinking water delivery route 50 is composed of a drinking water delivery channel L5 (the channel between the three-way joint F2 and the faucet 54), a melt-blown filter 51, a hollow fiber membrane filter 52, an activated carbon filter 53, and a faucet 54 interposed in the drinking water delivery channel L5.

[0049] The meltblown filter 51 houses a filter element formed by heat-welding ultrafine fibers such as polypropylene into a cylindrical shape within a column. As the water to be treated, introduced into the column from the top, flows from the inside to the outside of the cylindrical filter element, foreign matter is captured. The filtration accuracy of the meltblown filter 51 is typically 1 to 10 μm. In the water purification system of this embodiment, the filtration accuracy of the meltblown filter 51 is 5 μm.

[0050] The hollow fiber membrane filter 52 uses a large collection of hollow fibers (fibers with a hollow center) as its filter element. Polypropylene fibers are typically used as the hollow fibers. The hollow fibers are porous bodies with numerous micropores formed on their peripheral walls. When the water to be treated is brought into contact with the outside of these hollow fibers and passed through to the inside of the hollow fibers, foreign matter contained in the water to be treated is captured. The filtration accuracy of the hollow fiber membrane filter 52 is typically 0.005 to 0.1 μm. In the water purification system of this embodiment, the filtration accuracy of the hollow fiber membrane filter 52 is 0.01 μm.

[0051] The activated carbon filter 54 is made by filling a honeycomb core or roll core with activated carbon such as coconut shell charcoal, and covering the surface with nonwoven fabric or the like. This activated carbon filter 54 can adsorb chlorine, organic matter, and other substances contained in the water to be treated.

[0052] As described above, after adding the rock extract to the water to be treated using the mineral-adding means 40, the water to be treated is passed through the melt-blown filter 51, the hollow fiber filter 52, and the activated carbon filter 53. This allows the water to be treated with added minerals to be filtered to a level where it can be used as drinking water. The treated water (drinking water) is then taken out from a drinking water supply unit such as a faucet 54.

[0053] The treated water (drinking water) drawn from tap 54 is extremely clean and suitable for drinking. Furthermore, because mineral components are added to the treated water (drinking water), it is possible to obtain drinking water with a smooth taste and pleasant flavor.

[0054] 1.6 Non-drinking water distribution routes The non-drinking water delivery route 60 delivers the treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means 40 as is. In this embodiment, the non-drinking water delivery route 50 is composed of the non-drinking water delivery channel L6 and a shower nozzle 61 provided at the downstream end of the non-drinking water delivery channel L6. The treated water (non-drinking water) flowing through the non-drinking water delivery channel L6 is taken out from a non-drinking water supply unit such as the shower nozzle 61.

[0055] The treated water (non-drinking water) taken from the non-drinking water discharge route 60 is not necessarily suitable for drinking, but it can be used effectively in home gardens, etc. Since mineral components are added to the treated water (non-drinking water) flowing through the non-drinking water discharge channel L6, using it in a home garden can not only increase the sugar content and flavor of cultivated crops (vegetables, fruits, etc.), but also reduce residual pesticides in the cultivated crops.

[0056] 1.7 Summary As described above, the water purification system of this embodiment adds mineral components to the water to be treated, and can switch between a drinking water supply mode in which drinking water is supplied using the drinking water supply route 50 (drinking water supply channel L5) and a non-drinking water supply mode in which non-drinking water is supplied using the non-drinking water supply route 60 (non-drinking water supply channel L6).

[0057] Therefore, in drinking water supply mode, the treated water is purified to become drinking water with a smooth taste and good flavor. However, when the treated water is not needed to be purified to drinking water level, such as when it is used in a home garden, the system can be switched to non-drinking water supply mode. In this non-drinking water supply mode, it is possible to increase the sugar content and flavor of cultivated crops and reduce pesticide residues in cultivated crops while preventing the consumption of various filters (meltblown filter 51, hollow fiber membrane filter 52, and activated carbon filter 53) installed in the drinking water delivery route 50.

[0058] In addition, the water purification system of this embodiment is resistant to corrosion of the piping (piping constituting the flow paths L1 to L6) through which the treated water flows. Furthermore, since the water purification system of this embodiment does not require the installation of a fine bubble generator or the like, it can be designed to be compact.

[0059] 2. Experiment 2.1 Experiment 1 To confirm the water purification effect of the water purification system of this embodiment in the drinking water supply mode, Experiment 1 was conducted by actually using the water purification system of this embodiment and filtering the water to be treated. Rainwater was used as the water to be treated, and the water quality before filtration treatment with the water purification system and the water quality after filtration treatment were compared. The test items were the concentrations of "general bacteria," "E. coli," "nitrate nitrogen and nitrite nitrogen," "iron and its compounds," "chloride ions," "calcium, magnesium, etc. (hardness)," "evaporation residue," and "organic matter (amount of total organic carbon (TOC))," as well as "pH value," "taste," "odor," "color," and "turbidity," for a total of 13 items. These tests were conducted in accordance with Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 261 of July 22, 2003.

[0060] The experimental results are shown in Table 2 below. For reference, the water quality standards for each item are also shown in Table 2 below. [Table 2]

[0061] As can be seen in Table 2 above, before filtration, four items—"general bacteria," "pH value," "color," and "turbidity"—did not meet the water quality standards. However, after filtration, the non-drinking water (rainwater) was purified to a level that fully met the water quality standards for all 13 items, including the four items mentioned above. In particular, the "general bacteria" item decreased significantly from over 300 cells / mL before filtration to 10 cells / mL after filtration. Similarly, the "iron and its compounds" item also decreased considerably with each filtration treatment. Furthermore, the "color" item decreased significantly from 8 degrees before filtration to less than 1 degree after filtration. Moreover, the "turbidity" item also decreased significantly from 2 degrees before filtration to less than 0.5 degrees after filtration. From this, it can be seen that the water purification system of this embodiment has sufficient performance to filter non-drinking water into drinking water.

[0062] Incidentally, the conditions for delicious drinking water include an evaporation residue concentration of 30-200 mg / L and a hardness of 10-100 mg / L. In this respect, before filtration, the "evaporation residue" and "calcium, magnesium, etc. (hardness)" items were far from the conditions for delicious water, whereas after filtration, these items came relatively close to the lower limit of the conditions for delicious water. With the water purification system of this embodiment, it is quite possible to satisfy the conditions for delicious water in these items as well by adjusting the amount of rock extract added, and it has been found that the water filtration system of this embodiment can produce delicious drinking water.

[0063] 2.2 Experiment 2 Furthermore, in order to confirm how the nutritional value of cultivated crops changes when water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment (treated water) is used in a home garden, Experiment 2 was conducted in which Chinese cabbage was grown using the treated water and its nutritional value was measured. The measured items were minerals (calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins (β-carotene equivalent, β-carotene, and retinol equivalent). Table 3 below shows the measurement results for minerals, and Table 4 below shows the measurement results for vitamins. For reference, Tables 3 and 4 below also show values ​​for typical Chinese cabbage (commercially available Chinese cabbage). [Table 3] [Table 4]

[0064] Chinese cabbage grown with treated water from the water purification system of this embodiment was harvested in early June, and its nutritional value, in terms of both minerals and vitamins, was higher than that of typical Chinese cabbage harvested during its peak season. This indicates that cultivating crops using treated water obtained from the water purification system of this embodiment can increase the nutritional value of the crops.

[0065] 2.3 Experiment 3 An experiment similar to Experiment 2 was also conducted with spinach (Experiment 3). However, the measured parameters were iron and calcium. The results for spinach were the same as those for Chinese cabbage. Specifically, spinach grown with the water purification system of this embodiment had approximately 55% more iron and approximately 10% more calcium compared to conventional spinach.

[0066] 2.4 Experiment 4 Furthermore, in order to confirm what happens to pesticide residues on cultivated crops when water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment (treated water) is used in a home garden, Experiment 3 was conducted to check how the amount of pesticide residues changes one week after dilution, in both cases: when the pesticide was diluted with treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment, and when the pesticide was diluted with water alone. Two types of pesticides, Agent A and Agent B, were used.

[0067] The results showed that for Agent A, diluting the pesticide with treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment reduced the amount of residual pesticide by approximately 69.2% compared to diluting the pesticide with water alone, and for Agent B, the reduction was 32.6%. This confirms that the treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment is effective in reducing residual pesticides. The treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment is expected to improve the soil environment while minimizing the burden on the surrounding environment, and furthermore, to have a positive impact on agricultural crops.

[0068] 2.5 Experiment 5 Furthermore, Experiment 5 was conducted to confirm the disinfecting effect of the water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment (treated water). Experiment 5 was conducted on a total of nine types of bacteria: Campylobacter, norovirus, Legionella, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio cholerae, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Salmonella. For reference, measurements were also taken when disinfection was performed using purified water.

[0069] When disinfection was performed with purified water, the number of viable bacteria for any of the nine types of bacteria hardly decreased even after 30 to 60 minutes. In contrast, when disinfection was performed with treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment, the number of viable bacteria for any of the nine types of bacteria decreased significantly in about 5 to 10 minutes, becoming almost zero. From this, it was confirmed that treated water purified by the water purification system of this embodiment is also effective for disinfection. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 10. Storage tank for treated water 20. Water treatment introduction route 21 filters 22 pumps 23 Converters 24 batteries 30. Means of adding minerals 31. Rock extract storage tank 32 Infusion device 40 Route switching methods 50 Drinking water distribution routes 51 Meltblown Filter 52 Hollow fiber membrane filter 53 Activated carbon filter 54 Faucets 60 Non-drinking water distribution routes 61 Shower nozzle F1 three-way joint F2 three-way joint L1 Treatment water introduction channel L2 treated water introduction channel L3 Mineral Addition Channel L5 drinking water delivery channel L6 non-potable water delivery channel V1 valve V2 valve V3 valve V4 valve

Claims

1. The water to be treated is introduced via a route for introducing the water to be treated, A mineral addition means for adding mineral components to the water to be treated that has been introduced into the water to be treated route, A drinking water delivery route connected downstream of the mineral addition means, which delivers the treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means while purifying it to drinking water level, A non-drinking water delivery route connected downstream of the mineral addition means, which delivers the treated water that has passed through the mineral addition means as is, A route switching means is provided that can selectively switch the route connected downstream of the mineral addition means between a drinking water delivery route and a non-drinking water delivery route. A water purification system characterized by having the following features.

2. The method of adding minerals is A rock extract storage tank for storing rock extracts, A drip device that takes rock extract from a rock extract storage tank and drips it onto the water to be treated. A water purification system according to claim 1, having the following features.

3. In the drinking water distribution route, Meltblown filter and A hollow fiber membrane filter located downstream of the meltblown filter, An activated carbon filter located downstream of the hollow fiber membrane filter and A water purification system according to claim 2, wherein the following is provided.

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