1. What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis, also known as hyperfiltration, is the finest means of filtration available today. It is the most common treatment technology used by premium bottled water companies. Reverse osmosis refers to the process of forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure.

2. How does Reverse Osmosis work?
Reverse osmosis uses a membrane that is semi-permeable, allowing pure water to pass through it, while rejecting the contaminants that are too large to pass through the tiny pores in the membrane.

3. Can Reverse Osmosis be used on Bore water or water from other untreated sources (lake or river)?
Yes, RO is generally an excellent choice for homeowners with bore water. You should have your water tested for bacteria and virus contamination before relying solely on reverse osmosis. A water softener or whole-house iron filter may also be advisable (depending one the level of relevant contaminants in your bore water) to prevent membrane fouling thereby ensuring maximum membrane life and effectiveness.

4. How often does the reverse osmosis membrane need to be replaced?
With proper maintenance of your sediment and activated carbon pre-filters, your reverse osmosis membrane should last 2-3 years.

5. Why are reverse osmosis systems always combined with carbon and sediment pre-filters?
The only major category of contaminants that reverse osmosis is not highly effective in removing (organic compounds) is specifically targeted by activated carbon filters. Pre-filters also prevent the reverse osmosis membrane from being fouled or clogged by sediment, chlorine, and other contaminants, thereby enhancing its effectiveness and lifespan.

6. Are all reverse osmosis systems equally effective?
Absolutely not. Like all water filters, the effectiveness of a reverse osmosis system depends greatly on the quality of its components - especially its pre-filter cartridges (quantity and quality) and the membrane itself. Lower quality pre-filters will suffer from premature membrane fouling, as well as reduced performance, purified water output, and membrane life.

7. I notice that a reverse osmosis system will remove just about everything from my water, including some nutrients that are good for the body. Should I take a supplement to counteract the nutrients that I will no longer get through my water?
No, this is not necessary. You should already be getting all of the nutrients such as essential salts, vitamins, and other trace minerals from the food you eat and the other beverages you drink.

8. What is "crossflow"?
Quality reverse osmosis systems use a process known as crossflow to allow the membrane to continually clean itself. As some of the fluid passes through the membrane the rest continues downstream, sweeping the rejected contaminants away from the membrane and down the drain. This prevents contaminants from backing up against the membrane and clogging it.

Reverse Osmosis represents state-of-the-art in water treatment technology.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) was developed in the late 1950's under U.S. Government funding, as a method of desalinating sea water.
Today, reverse osmosis has earn its name as the most convenient and thorough method to filter water.
It is used by most water bottling plants, and by many industries that require ultra-refined water in manufacturing.
Now this advanced technology is available to homes and offices for drinking water filtration.

How It Works

In short, it is the process by which water molecules are forced through a 0.0001 micron semi-permeable membrane by water pressure.
Long sheets of the membrane are ingeniously sandwiched together and rolled up around a hollow central tube in a spiral fashion.



This rolled-up configuration is commonly referred to as a spiral wound membrane or module.
They are available in different sizes for processing different quantities of water. Typically, a module for home water treatment is as small as 2" diameter and 10" long, while one for industrial use may be 4" diameter and 40" long.

For the membrane to be usable it must be in some type of container (membrane housing) so pressure can be maintained on its surface. It is this pressure that supplies the energy to force the water through the membrane, separating it from unwanted substances. The most amazing aspect of RO is that the substances left behind are automatically diverted to a waste drain so they don't build up in the system as with conventional filtering devices. This is accomplished by using a part of the unprocessed water (feed water) to carry away the rejected substances to the drain, thus keeping the membrane clean.