text: what is water purification? and, why is it important?... how can water be purificated?   it's exactly what it sound like. to make water pure.  it's important because the bacteria and chemicals in water can make you sick. water from rivers and streams may look clean, but they are not.  water can be purified by several ways: - filtering. like the brita or pur water filters. water goes through the filters while bacteria, dirt, and some chemicals get trapped in the filter. - boiling. it kills most of the bacteria which can make you sick, but does not remove dirt or chemicals. - distilling. similar to boiling, but you take the steam from boiling water and turn it back into water. best form of purification in my opinion, but takes a long time and requires special equipment. - chemical purification. used by the military. you add a chemical to the water. this chemical kills the bacteria and makes the other chemicals in the water harmless. the water may be safe to drink, but it will taste awful.