Reverse Osmosis

The city of Clearwater's Public Utilities Department uses reverse-osmosis to produce water for Clearwater's water needs. This helps the city to produce water at a less expensive rate than it is to buy it from distributors such as Pinellas County and Tampa Bay Water. 

What is Reverse Osmosis?

Reverse osmosis is a water treatment process that uses pressure to separate dissolved salts and other ions from water. Pressurized water is applied to a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane allows the water molecules to pass through the membrane, but rejects the dissolved salts and other ions.

Where Does Our Water Come From?

The city of Clearwater owns and operates numerous groundwater wells, which draw water from the Floridan Aquifer. Since the 1920s, the city has produced water from our own local well field. Over time, however, increased mineralization has forced the abandonment of certain wells, thus reducing the amount of water produced from the well field.