Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment
Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment is one of the best and most effective ways to remove harmful contaminants from tap water. The process uses pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane.
Reverse osmosis systems use pre-filters to remove sediment and chlorine from the water. These filters are important to protect the RO membranes from clogging.
What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis is a process that uses a semi-permeable membrane to separate water molecules from other contaminants. It works by applying pressure to overcome osmotic pressure that naturally moves pure solvent from the higher concentration side of a membrane to the lower concentration side, until chemicals are evenly distributed.
Reverse Osmosis systems use high-pressure pumps to force water through the semi-permeable membrane Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment and a series of filters that remove particles, bacteria, and other inorganic and organic contaminants. This process creates pure, delicious water for drinking and cooking. It can also reduce the level of dissolved solids in well water.
A reverse osmosis system will work with city water or private well water that has been pretreated for pathogens and chemicals, and that isn’t contaminated with too many dissolved solids. Reverse osmosis can be used to treat water from rivers and lakes, as well as seawater through a process called brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO).
While reverse osmosis systems do eliminate contaminants and minerals, they do not remove all the beneficial nutrients in the water. This is why it’s important to add back in the essential nutrients that are removed during reverse osmosis, like calcium and magnesium. Our bodies are 70-80% water, and we need it to hydrate, lubricate our joints, and aid organ function. The best way to get the nutrients we need is to eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
Reverse osmosis is one of the most advanced methods of water treatment and can improve a variety of contaminants, including Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). In addition to reducing TDS, reverse osmosis also removes bacteria and viruses. The process works by utilizing high-pressure pumps to push water through a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane separates water into two sides, with the fresh side producing clean drinking water and the salty side called waste or brine.
Osmosis is a natural process that occurs when a more concentrated solution migrates towards a less-concentrated one. Water naturally moves from the lower concentration to reach equilibrium, which is why you can see sugar moving towards a glass of water — it wants to get equalized! This is what happens in the human body when you drink enough water to stay hydrated.
To make reverse osmosis work, the system uses external pressure to reverse this movement. The pressure is applied to the Filling Machine Supplier water container on the left, which holds the low-concentration solution. On the right, a reverse-osmosis membrane is installed, and it’s this membrane that blocks contaminants — large and small — leaving pure water on the other side.
The membrane in the RO system is made from layers of cellulose that are stretched tightly together. The layering helps protect the membrane from fouling by removing bacteria, viruses, and other large molecules. In addition to the membrane, a reverse-osmosis system has pre-filters and carbon filters. The pre-filter removes larger particles like rust and dirt, while the carbon filter aims to reduce odors and volatile organic compounds. Typically, the pre-filter is replaced on a yearly basis while the carbon filter should be replaced every six months.
What Are the Benefits of Reverse Osmosis?
The most obvious benefit of reverse osmosis is that it provides clean water without the use of plastic bottles. One million plastic water bottles are bought around the world every minute and many of them end up in the ocean, where they harm wildlife. With an RO system, the water that drains out of your home is free from chemicals and can be recycled.
Other benefits of reverse osmosis include lower costs and less waste. Unlike other filtration systems, reverse osmosis does not require thermal energy and only needs an incredible amount of pressure to push water through the membrane and remove salt. This reduces the need to buy expensive bottled water, which also reduces the need for landfill space.
Another benefit of reverse osmosis is the quality of the water that is produced. Reverse osmosis filters out many harmful contaminants, including fluoride and lead, from the water. It also removes hard water particles and bacteria that can make your water taste unpleasant. Water that goes through a reverse osmosis system also looks clearer, and it makes for better-looking ice cubes that are more likely to melt slower and stay cold longer than traditional ice cubes.
Reverse osmosis can be used in homes, schools, and businesses to provide clean, healthy drinking water. It can also be used to desalinate seawater and remove other bacterial contaminants from the water supply. This process is important in places that have no other source of clean water and helps to reduce illnesses that can be caused by dirty, dangerous water.
What Are the Cons of Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis is highly effective at filtering out contaminants from drinking water, but it’s not without drawbacks. One of the most prominent concerns is that it wastes a lot of water. Studies have shown that RO systems waste anywhere from 3 to 20 times more water than they produce. This water waste is not only expensive for homeowners who have to pay for the extra water, but it’s also detrimental to the environment.
Another disadvantage of reverse osmosis is that it removes beneficial minerals from the water. This includes things like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and municipally-added fluoride that helps to strengthen teeth. Without these healthy minerals, water filtered by reverse osmosis has a lower pH which makes it more acidic. This isn’t harmful to drink, but it can damage pipes and strip lead and copper from them. Some systems remedy this by adding a step of remineralization to the system so that healthy minerals are restored to the water.
Reverse osmosis was originally designed for desalinating ocean water and making it safe to drink, but it is often unnecessary on a domestic scale. It’s still a great option for people who live in areas where clean drinking water is scarce, or who have wells that are contaminated with hard minerals. It’s also a good choice for households with children who are especially prone to illnesses caused by drinking untreated tap water.
