Water Filtration

When reverse osmosis filters were introduced at the turn of the last century, it was to stave off the rash of deaths brought on by the contraction of waterborne diseases.  While reverse osmosis water filters have done an admirable job up to this point, there is more that needs to be done.

Since the advent of the practice of chlorine disinfection back in 1908, water treatment facilities have used reverse osmosis water filters to spare many lives over the years.  The system designed primarily to remove sediment from our drinking water had taken great strides in the combat against biological contaminants in the water supply.

Since then, things have been going steadily downhill where reverse osmosis water filters are concerned.  The industrial revolution in America has given us many appreciable luxuries, but it has cost us the possibility to be able to find drinkable water from any existing natural source.

Reverse osmosis filters must now contend with contaminant such as herbicides, pesticides, petroleum products, cleaning agents, and pharmaceuticals, that the system wasn’t designed to be able to stop.  This is the dilemma that we find ourselves in today.

We are reliant on reverse osmosis water filters to do something that they were never intended to have to do.  They were only built to remove particles that were heavier than water molecules.  The system is incapable of slowing down this armada of chemical contaminants.

With the additional help from a multi-stage filtering system that is designed to precisely and effectively block out the individual threats that we now face, reverse osmosis systems could be effective, but only as the first stage in this chain.  Don’t however expect to see any large scale changes at the treatment centers.

The water treatment facilities are typically county run, and funded by the state.  There is no possible way for a county or state government being able to come up with enough extra money to be able to make the kinds of renovations that the reverse osmosis water filters need to make.

So, what is to be done in order to make up for the inadequacies of the reverse osmosis filters in order to make our water safe to drink?  It seems that we as individuals are forced into deciding on a personal level whether or not the health threat that the public drinking water poses to our families is great enough to force us into taking steps to protect ourselves.

The answer is a simple one for me, but it might not be for everyone.  People have known about the shortcomings of reverse osmosis water filters for years, and have still done nothing.  The threat to our health is growing greater all of the time.  With new impurities turning up at regular intervals it’s only going to get worse.

Now is the time to take action by purchasing a home water purification system.  You can’t afford to wait until they discover evidence. With 2100 known carcinogens already in the water supply, we can’t depend strictly on reverse osmosis water filters any longer.

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an Ezine Op-Ed 

If you’re like me, you’re probably pretty weary of salesmen. They would lie and cheat just to get you to purchase their products. People that sell home water purifiers are one in the same. The example that really comes to mind here are companies that sell reverse osmosis systems. Sure, having a reverse osmosis water treatment system is better than having no water treatment system at all but there are far better options out there. Here are 5 ugly lies to watch out for so you understand why reverse osmosis systems are mediocre at best.

1. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are inexpensive.

Using a reverse osmosis system may be cheaper than drinking bottled water but it is by no means inexpensive. Reverse osmosis costs 18 to 24 cents per gallon. In contrast, carbon filtration systems cost less than 10 cents per gallon. Which would you choose?

2. A reverse osmosis water treatment system removes all contaminants.

Reverse osmosis systems are not capable of removing synthetic chemicals. It helps to understand how they work in order to see why that is. During reverse osmosis, water is exposed to a porous membrane under pressure. Contaminants such as minerals and organic chemicals, which are molecularly larger than water, are caught by the membrane. Synthetic chemicals are molecularly smaller than the membrane so they pass through. For that reason, reverse osmosis systems must be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. Why not just use a carbon filter in the first place? Carbon filters remove both organic and synthetic chemicals.

3. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are convenient and easy to use.

In comparison to other water treatment systems like carbon filtration, reverse osmosis systems are high-maintenance and complicated. Reverse osmosis systems require adequate water pressure and a diaphragmed storage tank and as such as very high-maintenance. They are also difficult to install. Carbon filters on the other hand can be installed in a matter of minutes without the help of a plumber.

4. A reverse osmosis water treatment system produces healthy, pure water.

Having a reverse osmosis system is better than having no water treatment system at all but the water it produces actually isn’t that healthy. The problem with reverse osmosis systems is that they produce de-mineralized water. Studies show that in order to maintain good health, we must drink water that contains natural trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Drinking de-mineralized water can lead to multiple mineral deficiencies and an increased risk for cancer. Comparatively, carbon filtration systems remove all the bad stuff while leaving in the good stuff.

5. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are efficient.

The truth is that reverse osmosis systems are wasteful. They waste 2 to 3 gallons for every gallon of clean water they produce. They are also notorious for being slow because they produce less than a gallon of water per hour. Carbon filtration systems can produce up to 30 gallons of water per hour without wasting a single drop.

Now that you are armed with this information, make your decision wisely and carefully. There are many water filters out there to choose from but when you consider cost, effectiveness, efficiency, and convenience, a reverse osmosis water treatment system simply isn’t a good choice. Carbon filtration systems are the best option available when it comes to home water filters. So get out there and find a carbon filtration system for your home if you want the best water filter money can buy.

There is a serious debate going on about reverse osmosis. People want to know what the disadvantages of reverse osmosis are and does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink. With all these questions and doubts, it just makes sense to understand a little about this process of water filtration and then you can decide what is the truth.

Reverse osmosis has been quite successful in the commercial sector, where it was originally designed for desalination. However, critics of the system have misgivings and tend to point out the disadvantages of reverse osmosis at homes because they feel that the system is hyped by the manufacturers.

This article will give you an honest and unbiased view about the disadvantages and also answer the question — does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink?

Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis at Homes:

One disadvantage of this system is the time it takes to filter water, roughly three to four times longer than most other types of filters, but keep in mind a reverse osmosis system filters out far more contaminants than standard filters. Then there is the price factor which can run into the thousands of dollars for a whole house system, although smaller under sink units are available for much less. In addition, there is still the question does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Reverse osmosis uses a process known as ultra filtration wherein a membrane is used to filter the water. The openings of this membrane are microscopic which do not allow larger particles to pass through. The systems also use electric shocks to keep chemicals from passing through the membrane.

The process of not allowing contaminants to pass through the membrane is called rejecting the contaminant and there is a rate for this process. With the rate set at high, the membrane will not allow undesirable elements to pass through it making the water safer to drink.

Some say the disadvantages of reverse osmosis far outweigh the benefits, yet those who suffer with health problems or who do not have access to good tasting, odor-free water they feel is safe to drink swear by these systems. Of course, the best way for you to judge the efficacy of a water filtration system whether it is a reverse osmosis system or otherwise is by testing it and making sure that it fulfills your water treatment needs. Different systems handle water treatment differently and you have to find the one that is right for your requirements.

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Reverse osmosis is based on the natural process of osmosis which involves the selective movement of water from one side of a membrane to the other. Reverse osmosis ( also known as hyper filtration ) is the same process used by a human body to filter out contaminants. Particles or impurities can be removed from a solution through the process of reverse osmosis when the solution is forced through a semi-permeable membrane which allows the passage of water but rejects ions like sodium and calcium or contaminants like bacteria or urea. Gore-tex is a common semi permeable membrane. Gore-tex fabric contains an extremely thin plastic film into which billions of small pores have been cut. The pores are big enough to let water vapor through, but small enough to prevent liquid water from passing through.

Reverse osmosis also involves a process known as crossflow, which allows the membrane to clean itself. As fluid passes through the membrane some of the fluid continues downstream, sweeping the contaminants away from the membrane. For reverse osmosis to occur, pressure must be applied to the fluid. The most common method of applying pressure is the use of a pump. The higher the pressure applied, the greater the force created. As the concentration of the fluid being rejected increases, the force required to continue concentrating the fluid increases. Pressure is exerted on the area containing the concentrated solution, which forces the water molecules across the membrane to the area of the fresh water.

Reverse osmosis has become very popular in recent years because it not only filters water but also rejects bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins and other elements that have a molecular weight of greater than 150-250 Daltons; a unit of measurement so small it can only be seen with a microscope.

The process of reverse osmosis is of immense benefit to mankind. Its applications are wide ranging with the most common use being for purifying water in both commercial and residential water filtration systems. It is also used to desalinate seawater as well as to purify liquids in which water is an undesirable impurity, for instance in glucose or ethanol.

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A water cooler is a device that cools (some also heat) and dispenses water. There are usually two categories: bottle-less water coolers and bottled water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers are hooked up to the water supply, while bottled water coolers require delivery of water in large bottles from vendors.

In general bottled water cooler water is more expensive then bottle-less cooler water plus some bottle suppliers add on a delivery charge as well. Bottled water coolers are awkward and the bottles are extremely heavy when replacing. This is frustrating in large offices when the bottles need replacing more regularly.

Office managers are becoming more aware not only of the ongoing costs of bottled water but the storage space the bottles take up. In large offices where there are 8, 9 or even 10 bottles (some empty, some full) the cost to store these bottles per sq ft is in the thousands! This space could be utilized for another desk.

Water from the tap is also deemed to be fresher than water that is hanging around in bottles for days or weeks, fluctuating in temperature.

There is also an ever present health and safety issue with the bottles being left around the office and staff tripping over them.

If you or your company cares about the environment then you would opt for a bottle-less office water cooler. Imagine all those thousands of trucks and vans pumping out fumes into the environment just to deliver water to you.

There are a vast range of bottle-less water coolers available that filter water and supply it hot or chilled. There are freestanding models, under counter models, table top models and fountain models.

It just makes good sense to utilize the water supply that is already coming into your home, office, gym, hotel, hospital or school instead of bringing in another source, wasting money and harming the environment.

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