Reverse osmosis systems in Tampa: drinking water at its own tap

Water Filtration Tampa is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details are passed to an independent local water treatment pro, who can contact you and prepare a quote.

How reverse osmosis works

The EPA’s WaterSense program describes reverse osmosis as the process by which pressure forces water through a semi-permeable membrane. What comes out the other side is the treated water, called permeate. What is held back leaves as reject water, called concentrate or brine, and goes down the drain.

A point-of-use RO system is connected to a single fixture, such as under the kitchen sink. The treated water comes out of its own small faucet beside the main one, so the rest of your water, for showers, laundry and the yard, is left as it is.

What RO can remove

In the EPA’s words, RO systems can potentially remove water contaminants such as lead, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, arsenic, bacteria and viruses. The word potentially matters: what a given unit removes depends on the unit and on its certification, so check what the system you are quoted is certified for.

The standard for reverse osmosis drinking water treatment systems is NSF/ANSI 58. A good rule anywhere: decide what contaminant you want to remove or reduce, then choose a unit certified by NSF, Underwriters Laboratories or the Water Quality Association to remove that contaminant. A certification for one thing does not cover everything.

• Ask which contaminants the unit is certified to reduce, not only which standard it meets
• Ask to see the listing, and check it yourself
• Compare the listing with what your water report or your own test shows
• If PFAS is your concern, read what your water provider reports and ask about PFAS specifically

Reject water: the figure to ask about

RO uses water to make water. The EPA says a typical point-of-use RO system will generate five gallons or more of reject water for every gallon of treated water produced, and some inefficient units generate up to 10 gallons. Systems that earn the EPA’s WaterSense label must send 2.3 gallons or less down the drain for every gallon they treat.

Type of unit	Reject water per gallon treated	Source
Typical point-of-use RO	5 gallons or more	EPA WaterSense
Inefficient units	Up to 10 gallons	EPA WaterSense
WaterSense labeled RO	2.3 gallons or less	EPA WaterSense

When you compare quotes, ask each installer for the unit’s reject-water figure and whether it carries the WaterSense label. That one question separates efficient units from wasteful ones, and it is the honest answer to the common question about the downside of reverse osmosis.

RO and Tampa city water

If you are a City of Tampa Water Department customer, the city’s 2025 report is the starting point. It says the water comes mainly from the Hillsborough River, is disinfected with chlorine and then ammonia to form chloramine, and had an average hardness of 211 mg/L, or 12.3 grains per gallon. It also says that as of July 2025 the Tampa Water Department no longer adds fluoride.

Hardness and RO: if your home has hard water and you are adding RO at the sink, ask the installer whether they recommend a water softener in Tampa as well, and how the two would work together. The installer recommends the setup for your water and the equipment you choose.

Is RO worth it for your home?

That depends on what you want from your drinking water and what your water holds. RO makes sense to look at if you want treated water for drinking and cooking at one tap, if a test or your water report shows something you want reduced that the unit is certified for, or if you prefer not to rely on bottled water. It makes less sense if your concern is hardness on every fixture or an odor in every shower, because RO at one sink does nothing for the rest of the house.

Your main concern	Where it shows	What to compare
Drinking and cooking water	The kitchen tap	RO, NSF/ANSI 58
Spots, scum and scale	Every fixture	A softener, NSF/ANSI 44
Taste or odor everywhere	Every tap and shower	A whole-house filter
Not sure	Anywhere	A water test first

RO on a private well

If your home is on a private well, test before you choose any system. The EPA and the CDC advise testing a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH, at a certified laboratory. Treatment for a well is chosen from those results, and a pro can explain where RO fits, if at all, once the results are in. The water testing in Tampa page sets out what to test for.

Whole-house reverse osmosis

Some people ask about reverse osmosis for the whole house rather than one tap. A whole-house RO system is a bigger installation, and the installer sizes it after a water test. If you are considering one, ask the installer to explain what it involves in your home and how much reject water it would produce. For filtered water at every tap without RO, compare a whole house water filter in Tampa.

What an RO installation involves

An under-sink RO system needs room in the cabinet, a connection to the cold water supply, a connection to the drain for the reject water and a place for its own faucet on the sink or countertop. The installer checks those before quoting, so it helps to send a photo of the open cabinet under your kitchen sink with your request.

1. Check the space under the sink and the existing plumbing
2. Choose where the RO faucet will go
3. Connect the cold supply and the drain line
4. Fit the filters and the membrane, then flush the system as the maker directs
5. Show you where the filters are and how to change them

Upkeep: filters and membranes

RO systems have filters and a membrane that are replaced over time. How often depends on the unit and on your water, so follow the maker’s schedule for your system rather than a general rule. Ask the installer which parts you will need, where to get them, and whether you can change them yourself or will need a service visit.

What is better than reverse osmosis?

There is no single answer, because it depends on what you want to remove. A filter certified under NSF/ANSI 42 is for aesthetic effects such as chlorine taste and odor. A filter certified under NSF/ANSI 53 is for health effects such as lead. A softener removes hardness. RO is one choice when you want treated drinking water at one tap. If you are not sure, a test comes first: see water treatment in Tampa.

Questions to ask before you choose an RO system

• Which contaminants is this unit certified to reduce, under NSF/ANSI 58?
• What is its reject water per gallon treated? Does it carry the WaterSense label?
• Where will the faucet go, and is there room under my sink?
• Which filters and membrane does it use, and what does the maker’s schedule say?
• Do you recommend a softener with it for my water, and why?

Getting an RO quote in Tampa

Send the form, choose reverse osmosis drinking water and add your ZIP code. Your request goes to the operator of this site, who passes it to an independent Tampa water treatment pro. That pro can contact you, ask about your kitchen and your water and prepare a quote. Asking is free and you never have to hire anyone.

Questions people ask