Reverse osmosis (RO) water typically has a conductivity in a specific range, indicating its level of purity.
Understanding Conductivity
Conductivity is a measure of how well water can conduct an electric current. This ability is directly related to the concentration of dissolved ions (like salts and minerals) in the water. The fewer ions present, the lower the conductivity, and generally, the purer the water. Conductivity is commonly measured in microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm).
Typical Conductivity Range for RO Water
Based on the reverse osmosis process, the conductivity of the resulting water is significantly reduced compared to tap water.
Reverse osmosis water achieves conductivity of about 10-20 μS/cm. This range represents water that has had a high percentage of dissolved solids removed by the RO membrane.
Achieving Even Lower Conductivity
While 10-20 μS/cm is suitable for many applications, some processes require even purer water with extremely low conductivity.
- Post-treatment: To achieve lower conductivity, additional purification steps can be used after the RO process.
- Ion Exchange: A common method is to include an ion exchange demineralisation cartridge. This process removes the remaining ions that passed through the RO membrane.
- Result: Using post-treatment like ion exchange can reduce the conductivity to less than 1 μS/cm.
In summary, standard RO water falls within a defined conductivity range, which can be further lowered with post-treatment for applications demanding higher purity.
