Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment
A quality reverse osmosis system can filter out many contaminants like viruses, bacteria, nitrates, fluoride, and more. The system typically includes a sediment and pre-carbon water filters to prevent the semipermeable membrane from clogging.
Reverse Osmosis removes healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium from your drinking water. Our bodies need these nutrients for bones, hydration, and organ function.
How It Works
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water filtration process that removes many common contaminants like nitrates, lead, sulfates and fluoride. It can also remove more difficult pollutants like paints, dyes and industrial chemicals.
In a Reverse Osmosis system, household water pressure forces water through a prefilter to remove larger sediment particles, then through a reverse osmosis membrane that removes dissolved pollutants. The result is water that tastes great and can replace single-use bottled water, leaving you with a more environmentally friendly way to stay hydrated.
As the RO membrane removes dissolved contaminants, it creates a brine solution that contains these rejected molecules and other contaminants. The salt and Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment other impurities are flushed down the drain in a separate stream. The filtered drinking water then flows into a storage tank where it is stored until you need it.
Some systems come with a dedicated faucet that you can connect to your sink, giving you filtered water on demand. Others have a storage tank that allows you to fill up containers with your preferred amount of filtered water.
Most RO water filtration systems are designed for home use and should be cleaned, sanitized and recharged annually. You can hire a local water treatment professional to do this, or you can follow the detailed instructions provided with your specific water filtration system.
Pre-Filter
Reverse Osmosis is one of the most comprehensive methods of water filtration. It removes a wide range of contaminants including lead, asbestos, 82 other chemicals and more. In fact, RO systems have been responsible for ending boil water advisories in communities around the world.
The first step in a reverse osmosis system is a pre-filter. The pre-filter, which can be more than one depending on the system, is designed to PROTECT the RO membranes by reducing sediment and other large particles that can clog the process. It may also include a carbon filter to reduce chlorine since it can damage the thin film-material membranes used in an RO system.
From there, the water goes through a pressurized storage tank to hold it while it’s being processed through the reverse osmosis membrane. This phase will remove aesthetic contaminants like odors and tastes as well as health-related chemicals.
The reverse osmosis membrane is semi-permeable, meaning it allows only water molecules through and rejects larger particles of minerals, organic material and even salt. It was originally developed to desalinate seawater and reduce chemical contaminants but it is now commonly used in government, commercial and military applications as well as for home use. By removing many of the most common drinking water contaminants, it makes clean, safe and healthy water available to families that may otherwise have limited options.
Membrane
Reverse Osmosis membranes are a special type of filter made of a semi-permeable material that allows water molecules to pass but rejects larger contaminants like sodium, chlorine, calcium and other minerals, colloids, bacteria and pyrogens. They’re also capable of rejecting some organics and microorganisms like viruses. They’re able to achieve this by screening out particles based on size and charge. Viruses and bacteria have a much higher molecular weight than water and therefore have a greater ionic charge, which makes them more difficult to remove with membrane technology.
The membrane itself is an extremely thin film of synthetic plastic that’s backed with a layer of carbon, which prevents it from being damaged by chlorine and other oxidizers. It’s tested to operate at 65 psi and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the optimal temperature for RO systems to function effectively.
Reverse Osmosis can also be used to desalinate ocean water. It works by applying pressure to the saltwater side, which causes the solution to pass through a semi-permeable membrane and equalize concentrations on both sides. This is the same process that maple syrup makers use to separate the sugary concentrate from the water in their sap, and winemakers apply to create pure ethanol.
Storage Tank
The filtered water is stored in the tank until it’s needed. Domestic reverse osmosis systems come with tanks that range in size from one to 10 gallons, and are made of either polyethylene or stainless steel. The larger the tank, the more water that can be held within it. When the tank is full, it will trigger a shut-off valve to stop the flow of water through the membrane and into your home’s drinking faucet.
Reverse osmosis systems also have post-filters to polish Filling Machine Supplier the drinking water and remove any dissolved particles too small to see with an electron microscope. After the membrane and pre-filters, this post-filter makes sure that only clean, drinkable water reaches the storage tank.
The RO system’s tanks hold the filtered water under pressure so it will continue to flow through the membrane until the tank fills and the shut-off valve is triggered. This prevents the system from sending rejected water down the drain and saves thousands of gallons of wasted water each year. Ideally, the optimum pressure for a RO tank should be between 50 and 60 psi in order to operate at peak performance and maximum efficiency. If the tank’s pressure is too low, it will fill more slowly and be shut off much sooner. You can increase the water pressure to the tank by pressingurizing the tank with air and switching off your household water supply for a few minutes before re-opening it.
