The UV system will expose water to UV light and effectively destroy 99.99% of harmful microbiological contaminants in the water. If you purchase a system with an integrated prefilter, the filter will remove sediment, heavy metals, etc. from the water as these particulates can make it hard for the UV light to effectively sanitize the water.
In the UV water treatment process, water is fed through the UV system's chamber where light is exposed to the water. The UV light damages the microorganism's cellular function so that it is unable to grow or reproduce, and therefore dies.
As long as UV light is applied in the right dosage, UV treatment is effective against all bacteria (including Cryptosporidium and Giardia that have thick cell walls). UV light also works on viruses and protozoa. As a general rule, we recommend our customers install an integrated UV water filter WITH an RO drinking water system. This way, you get the best of all worlds! Microbiological contaminants are removed by the UV system and the reverse osmosis filtration system removes fluoride Fluoride (85-92%), Lead (95-98%), Chlorine (98%), Pesticides (up to 99%), and many other contaminants.