Reverse Osmosis

Reverse Osmosis is a process in which dissolved inorganic solids (such as salts) are removed from a solution (such as water). This is accomplished by household water pressure pushing the tap water through a semi permeable membrane. The membrane (which is about as thick as cellophane) allows only the water to pass through, not the impurities or contaminates. These impurities and contaminates are flushed down the drain.

Ultimately, the factors that affect the performance of a Reverse Osmosis System are:

• Incoming water pressure
• Water Temperature
• Type and number of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the tap water
• The quality of the filters and membranes used in the RO System

A reverse osmosis membrane will remove impurities and particles larger than .001 microns.

TYPICAL REJECTION CHARACTERISTICS OF R.O. MEMBRANES Elements and the Percent R.O. Membranes will remove
	Sodium Sulfate Calcium Potassium Nitrate Iron Zinc Mercury Selenium Phosphate Lead Arsenic Magnesium Nickel Fluoride Manganese Cadmium Barium Cyanide Chloride	85 – 94% 96 – 98% 94 – 98% 85 – 95% 60 –75% 94 – 98% 95 – 98% 95 – 98% 94 – 96% 96 – 98% 95 – 98% 92 – 96% 94 – 98% 96 – 98% 85 – 92% 94 – 98% 95 – 98% 95 – 98% 84 – 92% 85 – 92%

A counter top reverse osmosis system is connected to the water supply under your sink, where the water passes through three to five filters to achieve purity. The filtered water is then stored in a storage tank (also under the sink). An entirely separate faucet is then installed on your sink, fed from the storage tank below. Expect to pay an average of $200-500 for a system like this.

Similarly whole house Reverse Osmosis systems can be installed which will protect you from toxins and irritants while taking a shower. They are quite expensive and can easily cost thousands.

A few major stores and malls now have reverse osmosis machines where you can fill up your bottles at a fairly reasonable price. It is a sensible alternative to buying bottled water if you cannot invest in a purification system.