Reverse osmosis isn’t necessarily a new technology. However, advances in commercial processes, combined with its energy efficiency have made it a favorite for corporations whose process for creating their products requires purified water. This includes electronics, pharmaceutical, and glass manufacturing. The guide below looks at this method of water treatment and its benefits.

What Is a Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System?

Osmosis causes a diluted solution to pass through a membrane to form a more concentrated solution. Reverse osmosis systems force water through a semi-permeable membrane, which has a pore size of about .0001 microns, allowing water molecules to pass, but anything larger to be rejected. The contaminants are drained away in a reject stream, and the pure water continues in the permeate stream.

How Thorough Is It?

Reverse osmosis systems are very effective at removing protozoa, such as Cryptosporidium, bacteria, such as Salmonella, and viruses, such as Hepatitis A, from water. In addition, it can filter out chemical contaminants such as copper, chloride, chromium, magnesium, nitrates, phosphorous, sodium, and arsenic. Reverse osmosis has a high rejection percentage of 95% to over 99%, meaning almost no solids are allowed to pass through.

Other pretreatment systems improve the efficiency of reverse osmosis systems by filtering out some of these particles ahead of time. These can include a sand bed, deionizer, activated charcoal filter, or microfilter. The more effective the pretreatment, the easier it is for reverse osmosis to do its job—extending the membrane’s useful life beyond its usual two to three years. 

If you’re looking for an effective water treatment system, turn to the experts at Western Environmental Management in Carlsbad, NM. With over 30 years of industry experience, they specialize in reverse osmosis units, demineralizers, and water softeners. They also offer ion-exchange resin cleaners for your cooling and boiler needs. Visit them online to learn more about their services, or call (575) 885-5709 to schedule a consultation.