What Is Reverse Osmosis & How Can It Help Your Well Water?
Reverse osmosis is a way to filter contaminants out of water, leaving you with pure, tasty drinking water. It can also help limit the number of other water treatments required. But how does it work and is it really worth the investment? To help you understand reverse osmosis systems, North Florida Water Systems Inc is breaking down what it is, how it works, and who it’s right for.
For more information or for expert reverse osmosis system installations, contact Call North Florida Water Systems Inc today to schedule an appointment!
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
A reverse osmosis system typically provides at least three levels of water filtration to remove several types of contaminants. Unfiltered water, or feed water, is first pushed through a sediment filter, which removes items such as dirt, dust, and rust. Next, it moves through a carbon filter, which reduces contaminants, such as chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other contaminants that may give the water a bad taste or smell. Finally, the water moves through a semi-permeable membrane, which blocks everything that is larger than a water molecule from passing through. This removes up to 98% of total dissolved solids (TDS). Finally, the water passes through a postfilter to remove any lingering contaminants that may affect the taste, color, or smell of your water. Depending on the system, water may go through multiple versions of these filters before reaching your home, resulting in clean and tasty drinking water.
Benefits Of Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration
Reverse osmosis provides a lot of filtration but is all of it necessary? Typically, the more filtration the better, and filtering your water with reverse osmosis can provide many benefits, including the following.
Improved Taste. One of the biggest issues against well water is contaminants cause it to smell, look, or taste funny. Reverse osmosis removes all these for fresh, cleaning-tasting water.
Save Money. Your well water coupled with a reverse osmosis system will make bottled water completely obsolete.
Easy To Maintain. All of the filtration cartridges are replaceable and with very few moving parts, there’s not really much that can break down or that needs to be maintained.
Removes Impurities. The biggest benefit of reverse osmosis is all of the contaminants that can be removed, including the following.
- Lead
- Sulfates
- Bacteria
- Pharmaceuticals
- Chlorine & Chloramines
- Arsenic
- Copper
- Nitrates And Nitrites
- Chromium
- Selenium
- Fluoride
- Radium
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Cyst (Cryptosporidium)
- Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
Do You Need A Reverse Osmosis Water Filter?
Reverse osmosis filtration can provide you with peace of mind that the well water you’re using is clean and free of harmful contaminants. Reverse osmosis can provide excellent filtration for most home wells. The only real drawback is the process can be slow due to the extent of filtration. To ensure you always have access to filtered water, you’ll want to invest in a water holding tank so water can continuously be filtered and stored for when you need it! However, because reverse osmosis can only remove contaminants that are larger than water molecules, it’s not a fix-all for other issues that may plague your water, including pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, excess quantities of chlorine, and some dissolved gasses such as hydrogen sulfide. If these contaminants are an issue with your water, a well water company can help determine what the best method for addressing these contaminants is.