APEC Water RO-90 5-Stage Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis System
APEC Water Systems
Arsenic (V) at a 300 ppb influent ceiling, named on the WQA NSF/ANSI 58 listing
The APEC RO-90 is the only pick on this page whose arsenic claim resolves to a live certifier listing, and it is also the cheapest by $155. WQA lists it under NSF/ANSI 58 with “Arsenic (V) (300 ppb influent level)” named outright, plus eleven more claims covering lead, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, barium, cadmium, copper, radium, selenium, TDS and turbidity. It is a 5-stage under-sink system at 90 GPD. Read the species qualifier before you buy: the listing covers pentavalent arsenic, not trivalent, and well water can carry either.
Key Features
- WQA-listed under NSF/ANSI 58 naming Arsenic (V) at a 300 ppb influent ceiling
- Eleven further claims on the same record, lead and hexavalent chromium among them
- 90 GPD membrane and a 4-gallon storage tank
- 2-year warranty and roughly $60/year in filters
Our Review
Every other pick on this page describes its arsenic performance in the manufacturer's words, because none of them matches a record in our certification index — the page header has said so since June. The RO-90 is the exception, and it is worth the page being reorganised around: WQA lists it under NSF/ANSI 58 with Arsenic (V) at a 300 ppb influent ceiling as a named line item, sitting beside barium, cadmium, copper, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, lead, radium 226/228, selenium, TDS and trivalent chromium. Twelve claims, independently re-audited, at $219.99 — $155 below the next-cheapest pick here. The caveat is the species, and it matters more on arsenic than on almost anything else: the certification covers pentavalent arsenic, As(V), which is the form in oxygenated municipal supply. Trivalent arsenic, As(III), occurs in reducing groundwater, passes RO membranes far more readily, and is not on this or any consumer listing — if you are on a well, get the speciation tested and oxidise before the membrane. The rest is ordinary tank-based RO: an hour of plumbing, cabinet space, wastewater at about 1:3, and flat-tasting water with no remineralizer.
Pros
- +Arsenic (V) is a named claim on the WQA listing, not manufacturer copy
- +$155 cheaper than anything else on this page
- +Also listed for lead, fluoride and hexavalent chromium
- +90 GPD output with a 2-year warranty
Cons
- -Listing covers PENTAVALENT arsenic only — trivalent As(III) needs oxidising pre-treatment first
- -No remineralization stage, so the water tastes flat like most plain RO
- -Under-sink install with a storage tank — cabinet space and about an hour of plumbing
- -Produces wastewater at roughly a 1:3 ratio
Specifications
Stages
5-stage
Filter Life
12 months
Annual Filter Cost
$60/year
Warranty
2 year
