Discover the Purest Water: The Ultimate Guide to Reverse Osmosis (RO) Filtration Systems

Reverse osmosis (RO) is an excellent water treatment process that can provide you with high-quality drinking water by purifying it. The RO system uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove impurities, such as salts, minerals, and other contaminants, from water. The process is so effective that it can remove up to 99% of dissolved solids and bacteria from water, ensuring that the water you drink is healthy and safe.

Intro

RO was first created to clean saltwater and purify water in laboratories. It was created in the mid 1900’s, and since then, people have found many ways to use it, like making clean drinking water, cleaning wastewater, and even making medicine and electronics.

If you’re looking for a way to ensure that your drinking water is free of harmful impurities, an RO system is an excellent choice. Not only does it remove impurities, but it’s also cost-effective and environmentally friendly when compared to buying bottled water. 

RO is a popular and effective water treatment method due to its ability to remove a wide range of contaminants, including bacteria, viruses, and some chemicals. It is often used in both residential and commercial settings, such as homes, hospitals, and industries.

It helps people in many parts of the world have clean and safe drinking water, especially in places where there isn’t much clean water.

How RO Works

The RO process works by applying pressure to water, forcing it through a semipermeable membrane that filters out impurities. The purified water is collected on one side of the membrane in a clean tank, while the impurities are flushed away as wastewater on the other side.

Advantages of RO

RO can be a suitable water filtration option for home use for many reasons.

• It does not require any chemicals: This makes it a more environmentally friendly option compared to other water treatment methods.
• Effective with poor quality water:  If your tap water contains high levels of contaminants like bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, pesticides, or other harmful substances, reverse osmosis can help to remove them, leaving you with clean, safe drinking water.
• Improves the taste of your water:  Reverse osmosis can help to remove impurities that can give your water an unpleasant taste or odor, such as chlorine, fluoride, or sulfur.
• More cost effective than buying bottled water:  Using an RO system at home can be an affordable way to have access to clean, filtered water without the need to buy bottled water.
• Better for babies:  Babies and young children are more vulnerable to the effects of contaminants in water, so using reverse osmosis can provide an extra layer of protection for their health.

Disadvantages

While reverse osmosis is an effective method of water purification, there are some disadvantages to using it in your home.

• Energy-intensive:  RO requires significant energy input, which can add to household energy costs and environmental impacts.
• Wastes water:  RO systems typically produce more wastewater than clean water, which can be wasteful in areas where water is scarce. Even a conservative home system will use 4 gallons of water for every gallon it purifies. You will likely see an increase in your water bill.
• Removes beneficial minerals:  RO systems remove not only contaminants but also beneficial minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can affect the taste and quality of the water.
• Slow process:  The process of reverse osmosis can be slow, and it may take several hours to produce a gallon of purified water.
• Requires regular maintenance: RO systems require regular maintenance to replace filters and membranes, which can be time-consuming and costly.
• It isn’t able to remove everything.

Therefore, it is important to consider these factors before installing a reverse osmosis system in your home.

What RO Doesn’t Remove

While reverse osmosis is effective at removing a wide range of contaminants from water, it is dependent on size of the contaminants and the size of the membrane. There are some types of contaminants that it may not be able to remove.

• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Reverse osmosis is not effective at removing VOCs, which are organic chemicals that can easily evaporate into the air and dissolve in water. They are all around us and include products like paints and thinners, gasoline additives, aerosols, dry cleaning, and many more. These compounds can contaminate surface water and thereby well water. 
• Chlorine and chloramines: While reverse osmosis can remove chlorine from water, it is less effective at removing chloramines, which are used as disinfectants in some water treatment systems.
• Pesticides and herbicides: Some pesticides and herbicides are too small to be effectively removed by reverse osmosis membranes.
• Pharmaceuticals: Many pharmaceuticals are too small to be effectively removed by reverse osmosis membranes.
• Heavy metals: While reverse osmosis can remove some heavy metals, such as lead and arsenic, it may not be effective at removing others, such as iron and manganese.
• Radioactive substances: Reverse osmosis is not effective at removing radioactive substances, such as radon and uranium, from water.

It’s important to note that the effectiveness of a reverse osmosis system in removing contaminants will depend on a variety of factors, including the quality of the water provided for decontamination, the size and type of the membrane, and the flow rate of the water. 

Other Considerations

Most US homes have relatively clean water, especially if you have municipal water, however, we have all heard stories on the news about old pipes leaching lead or spilled chemicals contaminating our water supply. 

Any single form of water purification can’t remove all possible contaminants. We recommend testing your tap water so you can make an informed decision on an effective water purification system for your home. Depending on the quality of your water, you may find that a combination of treatments would be most effective. Many reverse osmosis systems for home use already include carbon filters for this reason. 

If you’re considering installing an RO system in your home or business, it’s essential to choose a reputable supplier and installer. A professional and experienced team can guide you through the process, recommend the best system for your needs, and ensure proper installation and maintenance.

Conclusion

Reverse osmosis is an effective and reliable water treatment process that offers numerous benefits. With the right system and installation, you can enjoy pure, clean water that is safe for consumption and other uses. It does have limitations however, and you will benefit by testing your water before making your final decision on this method of purification for your home.