Home > Reverse Osmosis

Quite simply put, reverse osmosis is the most efficient way to remove the largest number of contaminants commonly found in water. Reverse osmosis is the single most effective way to remove most impurities from drinking water, but it works even better in combination with other methods. Most filtration systems, both residential and municipal, combine reverse osmosys with a pre-filtering method to remove large particles suspended in the water that would gum up the filter and reduce its effectiveness. Dissolved particles are then removed by the RO filter – which effectively can remove most minerals (including salts), metals and many organic impurities from the water. Finally, the filtered water will be forced through a final ‘polishing filter’, often activated carbon, which will remove the remaining bacterial contaminants, and most objectionable odors and tastes from the water.

 

Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis are a few, but it is something to consider when selecting a home water filtration system. First, it is a slow filtration process, commonly used in under-sink or point-of-use systems. Second, it produces water that is fairly acidic and aggressive, with lower pH, and close to distilled (i.e. a flat taste) - that is because RO membrane removes beneficial minerals along with contaminants.