Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an efficient process used by the latest water purification equipment to purify mains water.

As the name implies, this process is essentially the reverse of Osmosis; the movement of solvent through a membrane from a region of low solute concentration to one of high solute concentration in order to reach equilibrium.

In Reverse Osmosis, a pre-conditioned mains supply water (the solution) is fed under pressure through a module containing a spirally wrapped semi-permeable membrane that rejects the impurities (the solute) as the retentate on one side and allows the purified water (the solvent) to pass through to the other side. The membrane is typically able to remove a high proportion of impurities, including up to 98% of inorganic ions, together with virtually all colloids, micro-organisms, endotoxins and macromolecules. Almost 70% of the feed-water passes through the membrane as a purified permeate, and impurities are removed in a residual concentrate stream that is run to drain.

For information on the latest water purification technology that uses Reverse Osmosis, click here.

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