- Normal household water pressure forces water through a membranous filter. The membrane has microscopic holes just large enough for a water molecule to pass through. Water is forced through the holes and all other substances are caught in the filter. The cleaned water is collected in a tank for use in the home. More water flushes the debris from the filter to clean it. Some RO filters have an electrical charge that helps reject chemicals as well.
- Reverse osmosis removes contaminates in water of any size larger than a water molecule. It often also reduces other contaminates to safer levels in the water. The design of home RO systems often incorporates other types of filters that remove larger impurities that will clog RO filters and those that help reduce contaminates smaller than water molecules.
RO systems are small enough to install under a kitchen sink, and many times include a separate faucet for RO-cleaned water. - According to a report by the University of North Dakota, RO systems clean only 5 to 15 percent of the total water used by the system. The rest is flushed as wastewater and can tax a home's sewer connection or septic system, not to mention increase the water usage and sewage disposal bill for the homeowner. There is a large amount of wastewater; 5 gallons of clean water may mean up to 90 gallons of wastewater that now contains a higher concentration of contaminates because of the clean water that has been removed.
RO technology removes trace minerals such as calcium and magnesium that are harmless or even healthy for human consumption. Furthermore, toxic chemicals that are too small for an RO filter to catch include chlorine and pharmaceuticals. Bacteria can also become a problem if pinhole leaks or other breaches occur in the RO membrane.
Additionally, the system may require an extra water pump if normal household water pressure is insufficient to force water through the RO filter. - The best way to ensure removal of contaminates from water is to stop the source of the contamination or acquire a different source. If that is not possible, a sediment filter removes large particles and a submicro filter removes smaller ones. In addition, water softeners and carbon filters remove impurities, leaving vital minerals in the water.
- RO systems are most effective in desalination processes, as was initially intended. They can be effective for home use if used in conjunction with other filters and filtering systems. However, RO systems alone are not completely reliable as a sole method for purifying water for the home.
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