EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RO WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS

Posted on November 27, 2017

 Water supplied to your home comes from many sources: it may be distributed by your municipality or it may be sourced from tankers which in turn rely on bore wells to supply water.  Water in your tap may be clear to look at but may be full of invisible and dangerous substances including bacteria, viruses, and cysts; along with dissolved impurities such as fluoride, lead and arsenic, and salts and minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium. In case of water from underground sources such as bore-wells,  dissolved impurities as listed above is measured as TDS (Total Dissolved Solids).

As a thumb rule, water high is TDS normally comes from underground sources, whereas water supplied by your municipal corporation is normally low in TDS.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has defined the parameters of water for human consumption.   The permissible limits of TDS and concentration of salts such as magnesium and calcium have been defined. Permissible levels of toxic substances such as arsenic and fluoride have also been defined. Read more – IS 10500 Standards for Drinking Water

RO Water Purifiers are becoming increasingly popular and are perceived as a superior technology where water purification is concerned.  However, before installing a RO purifier, you first need to check if you really NEED one.  Here are some points to consider before installing an RO water purifier.

Source of water & TDS Levels:

RO Technology is undoubtedly one of the best technologies to consider in the case of water with high levels of TDS (over 500 ppm* ). The TDS in your water can be checked with a simple TDS meter. If your TDS is higher than 500 ppm, a RO purifier may be your best choice. As a thumb rule, water high is TDS normally comes from underground sources, whereas water supplied by your municipal corporation is normally low in TDS. When an RO purifier is used in low TDS water, the water is stripped of essential minerals and salts which may be detrimental to your health in the long run.  *Parts per million

Water Pressure

Water pressure is important to check before buying a RO water purification system. RO water purifiers normally need a pressure of between 5-40 PSI (pounds per square inch) for them to work effectively.

Electricity

This is another important parameter that you need to keep in mind while buying a RO water purification system as RO purifiers need electricity to work.

Maintenance and cost of Consumables

RO purifiers comprise of filter cartridges, membranes, and pumps. All these are subject to wear and tear and need to be replaced from time to time. The AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract ) for household  RO units is normally high in the range of approximately Rs. 2000+ per annum. However, this AMC charge is relatively low when compared to other high-end commercial RO water purifiers.

Water wastage

 R0 (Reverse Osmosis) water purification systems waste a large portion of the water that runs through its system. More than 80% of water is rejected or wasted in a household  RO system leaving only 20% or less for consumption.

Removal of Salts and Minerals

Most  RO membranes reduce TDS by 90%. So if the input water has a TDS of 600 ppm, to begin with, post-RO the TDS will be around 60 ppm.  If for instance, your input water has only 200 TDS, the treated water will have TDS of 20ppm, which may be too low and contrary to good health in the long run.

To sum up, it can be reiterated that water high in TDS and hardness and having an unpleasant taste responds best to  RO purification technology, and no other technology will effectively reduce TDS to potable levels and improve taste.

However, for water low in TDS, other purification methods such as UV technology may be best to eliminate dangerous microorganisms while leaving the salts and minerals intact.

We hope this blog will help you choose the right purifier for your home. For more details visit Ro and UV water purifiers for homes

In case you are already using a RO water purifier you may want to read:  When to replace the RO membrane in my RO water purifier?