Next generation reverse osmosis water purifier

WaterO brings highly-filtered drinkable water to the kitchen table

WaterO brings highly-filtered drinkable water to the kitchen table

In many communities, the local water supply has a taste and/or odor that can sometimes be repulsive. However, these characteristics can be removed if a water purifier is used. The Los Angeles-based startup WaterO promises to deliver top-quality purified water using reverse osmosis technology, which is higher and more exacting than the carbon filters that are commonly used. The device is effective in removing heavy metals like lead and mercury, along with any particles with a diameter up to 5000 times smaller than the average bacteria.

It all started due to the own experience of the company’s CEO, Yu Zhou: “I drink a lot of water,” he explained in an interview. “I don’t drink it from the tap, because I don’t like the smell. I bought a lot of bottled water from the grocery store. It’s annoying because I need to go every three days to get more water. I did some research into installing a reverse osmosis system, but I couldn’t do it in my rented apartment.”

Reverse osmosis is not a new technology, but WaterO has applied it to a self-contained system with a small environmental footprint, while managing to increase its efficiency to at least 70% (industry’s current average is between 25% – 30%). The WaterO units are relatively small and can be placed anywhere there's an outlet nearby, needing no installation or access to the water supply. They are equipped with a water tank for unfiltered tap water which holds 3L and is able to deliver as much as 1,1L/min of purified water. During the approximately 10 minutes working cycle, the water runs through four separate filters, and before the water reaches the last filter, it enters a recycling mode (re-filtering), helping reduce the water waste. As a result, for every three parts poured into the system, two parts of pure water are produced and the remaining part can then be reused for plants, flushing the toilet, etc. Once finished, a screen displays the starting TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), a measurement of non-H2O particles dissolved in the water, followed by the post-filtration numbers. The WaterO’s mobile application also alerts the user when the filters need to be changed, and when he needs to get hydrated throughout the day.

In the beginning of the year, the team behind the WaterO ran a successful crowdfunding campaign, through which backers can still order the unit for $399 (it comes in a variety of colors) or the yearly supply for its filters at a cost of $80. The company also showed social responsibility to the Flint water problem, when announcing to send 5,000 water filtration systems to Flint residents in collaboration with the charity WATER is LIFE.