Reverse Osmosis Purification and Ozone Sterilization

Both Ozone and Reverse Osmosis (RO) have their place in delivering pure, clean water but for different reasons. It might help to think of Ozone's primary benefit as sterilization, with RO's benefit as purification.

Normally, RO is used to provide treated drinking water at one dedicated tap, usually by way of a Reverse Osmosis System in the kitchen. This does nothing to keep contaminated water out of the water storage tank or piping. I don't know about you but I don't brush my teeth in the kitchen, and carrying purified water from the kitchen every morning and evening to rinse my mouth at the bathroom sink just isn't going to happen. Also, I'd prefer not to bathe in contaminated water with the possibility I could get some in my mouth, or have contamination on my hands after washing them in the kitchen.

It would be expensive to install a Reverse Osmosis System for an entire house. Plus you would lose a great deal of waste water required in the normal operation of running everything through RO. Unless RO was positioned before the tinaco or cisterna, it would do nothing to address the problem of contamination in the storage tank. But, unlike ozone, RO has no residual sterilization effect so cannot continue to keep the water in the storage tank and pipes clean.

Ozone will also remove mold and algae from the water and our city water has that problem. I have to change my pre filter every few months because of all the algae that grows there. Also, mold will deposit and grow inside dishwashers and around tubs, and algae will quickly grow in any open water container like our pets' water bowls.

So, I see sediment pre filtration for the main water line as the first step to remove the big stuff and reduce the possibility of bacteria hiding in the dirt, then Ozone to sterilize the entire water system from the water storage forward. After that, it's a matter of personal choice for further treatment. A GAC carbon filter installed in the cold water supply lines below the bathroom and kitchen sinks would be adequate if for no other reason than to remove any residual ozone "taste." It's not harmful but it does have a metallic taste. The carbon filter will also reduce sterilization by products.

But Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Systems provide the best finish stage for truly pure drinking water. They will remove chemicals, heavy metals and pesticides that Ozone can't. This is the water I would use for cooking and drinking but I would know I could safely brush my teeth or take a shower elsewhere without making myself sick. In fact, with an under counter Reverse Osmosis System installed in the kitchen, I would probably leave the regular kitchen tap without a carbon filter so I could soak my vegetables in the Ozone water to kill any bugs on them. RO water can't do that.

We have all these black storage tanks (AKA "tinacos") sitting up on all these roof tops in 90° weather, without aeration, supplied by an untreated, untested city water source in Mexico. Sounds like an ideal science project to me. If people don't trust the water in the U.S., why, then, would we trust such an unprotected water delivery system like we have here? Open up a typical storage tank and look at all the dirt in there. That's only the stuff we can see...

Whether you are looking to provide safe drinking water at your kitchen tap, or you need to purify the water system for your entire house, we have solutions:

What's in YOUR Water? We provide full water purification systems, installation, parts and service for the lower Baja California Sur Mexico region from La Paz to Todos Santos to the East Cape to San Jose del Cabo, and Cabo San Lucas. For a FREE analysis of your water system needs, please contact us today!

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