Reverse Osmosis - How it Works

Reverse Osmosis is actually a simple process. Reverse Osmosis is a process that forces, by the application of pressure, the water to pass through a semi-permeable membrane that rejects heavy metals, salts, and inorganics, including healthful, naturally occurring minerals. Although the Reverse Osmosis membrance is somewhat limited as to contaminants reduced, it will reduce to a high degree the following: Arsenic V, Barium, Cadmium, Copper, Fluoride, Hexavalent Chromium, Nitrate/Nitrite, Particulate Matter, Perchloriate, Radium 226/228, Selenium and Trivalent Chromium. Reverse Osmosis does not effectively reduce VOC's (toxic chemicals).

After passing through the RO membrane, the product water passes through a holding tank. The process is slow and wastes 3-4 gallons for every one gallon of drinking water produced.

RO alone is not sufficient if "healthy" drinking water is desired. Additional filtration is needed to produce water that can be considered to be "properly filtered".

Most manufacturers offer RO devices that include additional water filters of a different technology that work in conjunction with the RO membrane to reduce additional contaminants such as different organic chemicals, additional toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and certain heavy metals. A system of this type will produce higher quality drinking water with more contaminants reduced.

Always look for a system that reduces contaminants to at least 1 micron, 0.5 micron is even better. Keep in mind some contaminants, such as Bacterial Cysts, can be as small as 1 micron.

The system should be installed as close as possible to the location(usually the kitchen sink) where the finished product will be delivered to the user.

One other thing to keep in mind - since Reverse Osmosis does remove "healthy minerals", anyone who is drinking RO water most of the time should also be consuming a multi-vitamin mineral product so they know they are getting the minerals the body needs to stay healthy.

For more information regarding water filtration see: www.supremedrinkingwatersolutions.com