The Value of Reverse Osmosis Filtration Systems

Water shortages are not confined to California or even America. It’s a global problem.

Brazil, for one, is currently suffering its worst drought in a century. The last time the nation had a drought this bad, the population was lower and the modern water-guzzling conveniences like washing machines either did not exist or were not widespread. This means the current drought is hitting hard and having the kind of impact it could not have had a hundred years ago.

Two of the things listed as causes of the water shortage include heavy pollution of some water sources and a failure to increase the water supply. Both are issues that can be addressed by a reverse osmosis filtration system. One way that reverse osmosis can increase the water supply is by making polluted waters clean enough for human use. The other is by desalinization of sea water.

Although fresh water is in short supply around the world, water per se is not. There is an abundance of water, though much of it is too salty to use for household, commercial, industrial and agricultural purposes. Cleaning up polluted waters and desalinating salty water can dramatically expand our access to usable water on the planet. All we need to do is stop seeing the world through such a limited lens and become more aware of the abundance around us.

California Dreams and Water Solutions

The Salton Sea has a rich and intriguing history. This extremely large salty lake and its water quality issues play an important role in the ongoing saga of water availability for the millions living in arid Southern California.

California is and has always been under duress due to the dual pressures of high demand and low water availability. Poor water quality compounds the problem. The Salton Sea receives runoff from farmland irrigation, which keeps the lake high in salts, other minerals, and toxic contaminants like pesticides. These water quality issues are linked to epidemics that kill large numbers of birds periodically. Obviously, this has dangerous implications for humans.

One viable solution is reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis is a high-pressure technology that cleans water up by forcing it through a filter. It can remove salt from fluids, turning saline water into potable water. Not only that, it can also remove other minerals and contaminants. In short, it can reclaim water that would otherwise be viewed as unusable.

Currently, a desalination plant is being built on the coast in San Diego County to help address the needs and dreams of its millions of residents. With reverse osmosis, not only ocean water but even the waters of the Salton Sea are a potential resource for this vital part of United States that is constantly searching for new water solutions.

The World is Thirsty for RO-Treated Brackish Water

The greatest thing about reverse osmosis is that you can apply the technology to all types of water and get different results. Many use the technology to thoroughly filter impurities out of water, but if you feed a reverse osmosis system with cleaner water to begin with, your end product will end up being of higher quality. Adding an RO filter for brackish water in your system can increase quality and output.

Greenhouse and hydroponic farmers have caught on to reverse osmosis to purify their irrigation water for agricultural use. One particular farmer in Florida uses a 300 liter/day reverse osmosis system which produces water with less than 15mg/1l of sodium. Upon switching to a brackish water RO system, the farmer’s production of European cucumbers in a twenty two acre greenhouse went from 48,000 cucumbers/day to 84,000 cucumbers/day. This is virtually double the output, which was achieved by the relatively simple shift from contaminated surface water canal sources to low-salinity brackish groundwater.

The product of brackish water RO has lower levels of bacteria and nematodes, thus helping avoid plant diseases. Also, an RO membrane intended for brackish water typically has a cellulosic membrane, which is resistant to chlorine. Furthermore, a brackish water filter can also be added to a previously existing RO system, which helps take stress off the first system and resulting in a more efficient workflow with better results.