APEC Ultimate RO-90 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System (90 GPD) review
Under-sink reverse osmosis. Plumber recommended if you are not comfortable with a drain saddle and a tank. Not a whole-house solution. Listed to WQA/ANSI 58.
What it removes
| Contaminant | Evidence | Stated reduction | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbidity | Certified | not stated | |
| Chromium (total) | Certified | not stated | hexavalent,trivalent |
| Arsenic | Certified | not stated | arsenic pentavalent,arsenic trivalent |
| Fluoride | Certified | not stated | |
| Radium 226 + 228 | Certified | not stated | |
| Cadmium | Certified | not stated | |
| Lead | Certified | not stated | |
| Copper | Certified | not stated | |
| Barium | Certified | not stated | |
| Selenium | Certified | not stated | |
| Nitrate (as N) | Manufacturer-reported | not stated | |
| Total Dissolved Solids | Manufacturer-reported | 99% |
Certified is an NSF, WQA, or IAPMO listing for that claim.
One drinking-water tap. Not a whole-house solution.
Certifications
- WQA/ANSI 58: Arsenic (Pentavalent) Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Barium Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Cadmium Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Copper Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Fluoride Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Chromium (Hexavalent) Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Lead Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Radium 226/228 Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Selenium Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: TDS (listing checked 2026-09-14)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Chromium (Trivalent) Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Turbidity Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
- WQA/ANSI 58: Arsenic (Trivalent) Reduction (from the manufacturer's page, not yet checked against the certifier's database)
US-assembled tank-style 5-stage RO, 90 GPD DOW FILMTEC membrane (flow_gpm is production rate), 4 gal tank, non-electric. APEC FAQ: stages 1-3 yearly, membrane and stage 5 every 3-5 years; feed limits pH 2-11, 0-100 psi, up to 2000 ppm TDS. annual_replacement_cost est. upper bound using the full FILTER-MAX90 set ($127.95 on Amazon) once a year; true cost is lower since stages 4-5 last 3-5 yrs. WQA Gold Seal certified system per apecwater.com ('certified to reduce Arsenic+3, Arsenic+5, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium-3, Chromium-6, Copper, Fluoride, Lead, Radioactivity, Selenium, and Turbidity'); the page does not print the standard number - '58' follows from WQA Gold Seal for RO systems and the Amazon title's 'NSF Certified 372 & 58'. No % figures published by APEC for individual contaminants. Amazon $229.95 (list $289.99) but 'Temporarily out of stock' on 2026-09-14; apecwater.com $264.99.