After water passes through the reverse osmosis membrane and the post-carbon filter stage, a remineralization cartridge introduces a controlled amount of minerals — typically calcium, magnesium, and sometimes potassium — back into the water. This step is sometimes referred to as an alkaline stage because it also tends to raise the pH level of the water slightly above neutral. Not all RO systems include this stage, so if remineralization is important to you, it is worth confirming on each product listing.