Water storage and drinking water can become contaminated at the blink of an eye. All it takes is a bad storm, burst pipes or a company disposing of their waste improperly and soon enough, your drinking water is unfit for consumption. You may have heard of reverse osmosis water systems, but the added benefits you get from actually installing one in your home or business is more than just filtering out your water.
Let’s go over the facts about this fascinating technology and learn more about the benefits of reverse osmosis that extend beyond just filtering out water for you and your family.
What Is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis, also known as RO, is a type of water filtration that removes up to 99% of the active contaminants in unfiltered water, including both larger particles and those that can’t be seen. Reverse osmosis is a multistage process that includes pushing the water through a specialized, semipermeable membrane. The end result is cleaner, safer water for drinking, cooking and other regular uses for clean water.
To filter, the semipermeable membrane in the reverse osmosis system has small pores that block contaminants but allow water molecules to flow through. In osmosis, water becomes more concentrated as it passes through the membrane to obtain equilibrium on both sides. Reverse osmosis, however, blocks contaminants from entering the less concentrated side of the membrane.
What is Reverse Osmosis Filtration?
Unlike activated carbon filtration technology that uses certain materials to attract contaminants that bind like magnets, reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane for filtration. Think of it like a mosquito net. Reverse osmosis forces water through a semipermeable membrane, leaving all particles larger than the net behind. But phrasing it like that does reverse osmosis an injustice; it’s more than just forcing water through a net. It uses a considerable amount of water pressure, making it the most effective water purification technique on the market.
RO systems can vary depending on the brand and design, but in general, they perform the following functions: pre-filtration, reverse osmosis, specialty filtration, drainage and storage. The fresh water produced by reverse osmosis systems is called the permeate. The concentrated water left over is called the waste or brine.
Benefits of Using Reverse Osmosis Systems
Cleaner, Safer Water
Sediment and harmful contaminants can show up in your tap water without you even knowing. Some contaminants can cause your water to produce a rotten egg smell or taste off, while others can be harmful to your health over time. Even lead is still found in drinking water today and even small amounts of lead can cause serious and irreversible damage to the body.
Reverse osmosis helps to reduce many of the contaminants commonly found in tap water, including:
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Copper
- Chromium
- Lead
- Mercury
- Bacteria and viruses
Environmentally-Friendly
Everyone is aware of how bad plastic bottles are for the environment, with 38 million plastic bottles going to landfills each year in America alone. The average American consumes 217 bottles of water per year, which is thousands of dollars in wasted income. Using a reverse osmosis water filter is not only environmentally friendly, but you can get incredible drinking water from your tap any time, day or night. Just add it to a reusable water bottle and enjoy saving money and doing your part for the Earth.
Easy to Maintain
While some water filtration and purification systems can be cumbersome and time consuming to maintain, a RO system only requires you to change out the filters and membranes according to your system’s manual. Most filters are replaced every six to 12 months and the membrane should be replaced every two years. This length can vary depending on the water quality in your area and how much you use your RO system, so make sure to check on them every 6 months just to be sure.
Energy Efficient
Reverse osmosis systems don’t actually use electricity, which in and of itself is the essence of efficiency for energy consumption. This stands in contrast to distillation, which requires heat and electricity, thus becoming more costly than reverse osmosis from the jump.
Enjoy the Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Today
Independent Water Service can recommend and install the right water filtration system for you and your family’s specific needs. We offer free water analysis and that, coupled with our expertise, will determine which system works for you. Our free water analysis checks for softness, contaminates, impurities and other factors that may affect your household or business’ water. We offer systems for both residential and commercial spaces.
We proudly serve Yakima and Kittitas Counties and have been your local trusted water service since 1986. Call to schedule your free water analysis today!