by Marvin Double

Created on: July 19, 2008   Last Updated: July 22, 2008

Everyone drinks water, either straight up or, as the principal component of another beverage. We all know that water is essential to all life. Clean safe water is today, as it has always been, a critical issue for all of us.

For over 100 years domestic water supplies have been treated to kill harmful microbes and prevent water borne disease like Cholera. Because of this, today many simply take tap water for granted.

However, a recently published long term study, found that tap water in 42 states contained 260 contaminants of which 142 were unregulated chemicals. It's no wonder there is public concern over water purity when pharmaceuticals, such as anti-depressants, which are flushed down millions of toilets daily, have also been detected in tap water along with other hormones from birth control pills and many other drugs.

Faced with information such as this, each year more people purchase and install an in home water filtration system. One of the most popular and effective of these systems cleans undesirable contaminates from water using a process called "Reverse Osmosis".

Reverse Osmosis filtration; sometimes know as "Ultra-Filtration" works by forcing water under pressure through a multi-layered semi-permeable membrane. The membrane is called semi-permeable because it has microscopic pores which allow water molecules to pass through while trapping the unwanted impurities in layers of the filter material.

Good quality Reverse Osmosis filters trap contaminate particles in the water just larger than 1 micron. A single micron is 1millionth of a meter or 39 millionths' of an inch.

Commonly, Reverse Osmosis filters are installed under a kitchen counter and supply filtered water for cooking and drinking through a small separate dispenser. However it is also possible, if desired, to install a larger Reverse Osmosis filter system which, when placed on the main water supply line, will provide filtered water continuously to all taps and toilets in the home.

Bottled water has become a common replacement for tap water in many homes offices, factories or shops. However the purity of bottled water has also been called into question by various studies. The environmental wisdom of shipping bottled water around the world, packaged in plastic bottles is yet another matter for consideration for those who think green.

For many consumers installing a Reverse Osmosis filter is a simple, easy logical and cost effect way to ensure the taste, quality and safety of their water - a small investment for real peace of mind.

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