A popular osmosis water filtration, reverse osmosis (RO) cleans your drinking water at the molecular level. It gets rid of harmful contaminants, sediments, microorganisms and more. The process is based on natural osmosis, the tendency of molecules to pass from a dilute area into a more concentrated area through a semipermeable membrane. This happens because of differences in pressure between the two areas. Reverse osmosis uses higher pressure than the natural osmotic force to push water molecules through the RO membrane, while leaving most dissolved salts, organics and bacteria behind in the reject stream (“brine”).
RO systems produce bottled water quality hydration directly under your kitchen sink, eliminating the need for expensive single-use plastic bottles and weekly grocery store trips for refills. Some point-of-entry (POE) systems treat all the water entering a house, while others are only connected to a single fixture like an under sink kitchen faucet.
Top Benefits of Using a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter at Home
The main advantages of an RO system are the removal of dangerous contaminants, sediments and microorganisms that are typically found in municipal and private well water sources. Depending on the type of RO system you choose, it can also remove lead, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, arsenic and more.
While RO systems are among the most effective for home water treatment, they can sometimes leave a little salt and other minerals in your drinking water, which some people prefer to avoid. For this reason, we also recommend looking into other solutions like ion exchange, water softening, ultraviolet sterilization and distillation methods.