This Year- Asked About Reverse Osmosis Treatment System

For some reason, this year we received a lot of questions from individuals looking to purchase or install a reverse osmosis treatment system.  The first question they all ask was about the features, models, and other details, but none answer the question why?  What was the problem or purpose?  They assumed they needed this system.

So my questions went as follows:

Question 1: Why?  What is the Problem – their answer in all cases was they thought it would be better.

Answer 1: They all thought they needed to install a reverse osmosis unit on their drinking water to protect their family.   They did not identify a problem such as salty water, metallic taste, etc.  When this happens, my first assumption is something went wrong somewhere or there is a new water treatment ad on TV pushing citizens to drink “Pure Water”, i.e., H20 or dihydrogen monoxide, only.  First – Drinking absolutely pure water for the long-term is not wise.

Question 2:  Where does your water originate?  Well water, City or Public water, or shared spring.

Answer 2:  80% said city or public water, 10 % said private well, and 10% said a local spring.

For the city and public water users, I said it was unlikely you needed a reverse osmosis unit because your source is regulated and must meet the state and federal drinking water standards, but after Flint and other cases this may not be true 100 % of the time.  I ask them if they look at the Consumer Confidence Report for their system and they had no idea what I was describing.  I pointed them in the direction of the EPA Consumer Confidence Report  (NOTE: If there is no report online, you will need to call your water supplier) and in every instance the water source was meeting drinking water standards, but they had some occasional problems with trihalomethanes, i.e., chlorine by-products, bacteria, and a few with copper, arsenic,  fluoride, and lead or corrosion issues.   For these individuals, I recommended the following:

a. Get a Comprehensive City Water Information Analysis

b. Based on the initial information and assuming the primary issue was trihalomethanes and chlorine by-products, the primary need most individuals was an under the counter “Point-of-Use” Carbon Filtration System for the Sink, Refrigerator, and/or Shower and in some cases for older homes I suggested a first flush test for lead and copper and then have a plumbing contractor inspect the service lines and plumbing in the home.  In one case, the homeowner found a slimy bacterial growth in the toilet tank reservoir, so we suggested they flush the system and suggested the installation of a water filter canister so they could flush and shock disinfect the water lines in the home.  For a small office, I might suggest a water cooler model.   I do not recommend a Whole House Reverse Osmosis unit.

c. Reverse Osmosis Treatment was not needed in ALL cases.

For the well water users (POE Systems- UV disinfection), I asked them when was the last time they tested their water and if the water had any aesthetic problems.  One complained of a salty taste, one was just concerned because of health issues, and the rest reported aesthetic problems ranging from odors to discoloration to staining.   If they did not have a recent water test, we recommended the appropriate water testing based on their description of the problem and surrounding land-use activities.

Homeowners that reported – Salty Water Taste and not near a gasoline station or farming area we recommended a basic water quality test with bacteria.

Homeowners that reported discoloration that was red, black, green, and/or a metallic taste we recommended a basic water quality test.

Homeowners that reported a chemical odor or metallic sheen and located in an area surrounded by agricultural activities or petrochemicals we recommended a test that included bacteria, metals, Volatile Organics, herbicides, and pesticides.  If they reported slimy coatings or films, we added a nuisance bacteria test.

We also directed a few of these users to our Phone App and Diagnose It for a self Diagnose.

At this point, NOT one of these individuals has installed a reverse osmosis unit, but it looks like the guy with the salty water may need a system.  We did find out that about 90% of the well owners needed to shock disinfect their well, 50% needed to install a UV disinfection System, 30% had a corrosion related problem, and 20% had to treat the water for an iron, manganese, or sulfur problem.

For the “Spring User” – we recommend the water be tested for total coliform and E. coli. and general water quality.  If the samples come back positive and there was a concern iron and manganese content we recommended a water test that included bacteria (including standard plate count and nuisance bacteria, iron, manganese, and total dissolved solids).  Some of the users complained about getting diarrhea, so we recommend the equivalent of a Pathogenic Screen Test for Your Drinking Water.

Guess What ! – the diarrhea case was positive for 1 pathogenic organism.   Our recommendation was to not use that spring and if possible have the spring properly abandon.   If you want to use a local spring source, plan on boiling the water at a minimum and use a water pitcher filter (test regularly at least quarterly).

For the guy that needed a reverse osmosis system, he also needed a pretreatment system to deal with the bacteria, hardness, and prepare the water for the R/O unit.    For individuals on city water that want a point of use R/O, we have found that is is typically necessary to prefilter the water to remove particles, add a carbon unit to remove chlorine, and is some cases reduce the hardness of the water.    Please keep in mind both applications are for Point-of-Use and not – Wholehouse RO treatment.

Looking for a Reverse Osmosis Unit – Questions?

1. How much water do I need per day?
2. Does my water require pretreatment?  If you do not have recent water testing data, we recommend this comprehensive assessment (Complete RO screen).  Testing for silica is critical.
3. How much water will be “wasted” per day and where will this water go?   Some R/O units process 2 to 4 units of water to make 1 unit.  Therefore, you may waste 1 to 3 gallons of water to make 1 gallon.
4. Do I need to install a booster pump- Do I have the proper pressure in my system?
5. Do you need to re-mineralize the water for taste or to increase the pH?

Interesting R/O Unit with Booster Pump

Finally -You may want to be looking for an NSF/ANSI 58 approved systems – You can try this product search. “NSF/ANSI 58 establishes the minimum requirements for the certification of point-of-use (POU) reverse osmosis systems designed to reduce contaminants that may be present in public or private drinking water.  The scope of NSF/ANSI 58 includes material safety, structural integrity, total dissolved solids (TDS) reduction and other optional contaminant reduction claims. The most common optional claims addressed by NSF/ANSI 58 include cyst reduction, hexavalent and trivalent chromium reduction, arsenic reduction, nitrate/nitrite reduction, and cadmium and lead reduction.”  and you most likely want to hire a local trained professional to assist with product selection and install. If your looking for a treatment system to remove Pfas/Pfos (meets NSF P473)

Training
If you are looking for Training on the Subject – Visit :  Basic Water Treatment Course (Search Water Supply
(Topics: Desalination, Disinfection, Membrane Filtration)

More -Training – Visit Training Professionals 

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