Reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems can purify water to 95%-99% purity levels, rivaling distilled water. This article addresses key questions about Reverse osmosis (RO) purified water, including its safety, comparisons to other water types, and its compatibility with water softeners.
How Does Reverse Osmosis (RO) Work?
Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that uses a semi-permeable membrane to remove ions, unwanted molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the process:
- Pressure: Water is forced through the semi-permeable membrane under high pressure.
- Filtration: The membrane allows water molecules to pass through while blocking larger molecules, including contaminants.
- Rejection: Contaminants are flushed away as waste water.
- Collection: Pure water is collected on the other side of the membrane.
Up to 99.8% of dissolved salts, particles, colloids, organics, bacteria, and other contaminants can be removed by reverse osmosis water filters.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for You?
Reverse osmosis water can be highly beneficial for your health. Here are some key advantages:
- Contaminant Removal: RO systems effectively remove a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals, chemicals, and microorganisms. This reduces your exposure to potentially harmful substances.
- Improved Taste: By removing chlorine and other chemicals, RO water often tastes better than tap water, which can encourage increased water consumption.
- Reduced Sodium Intake: For individuals on low-sodium diets, RO water can be beneficial as it removes most sodium from the water.
- Microplastic Reduction: RO systems can filter out microplastics, an increasing concern in water supplies worldwide.
- Cooking Benefits: Using RO water for cooking can enhance the flavor of foods and beverages, as there are no contaminants to interfere with taste.
However, it’s important to note that traditional RO systems also remove beneficial minerals from water. This is why many modern RO systems, including those offered by Complete Home Filtration, include a remineralisation stage. This stage adds back essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, ensuring you’re not missing out on these important nutrients.
For most people, drinking RO water as part of a balanced diet is perfectly healthy and can contribute to overall wellbeing. However, if you have specific health concerns or conditions, it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional about your water consumption.
Safety of Reverse Osmosis Water
RO systems provide clean, safe water for your family. They’re particularly suitable for those with specific health requirements for pure water or for families with bottle-fed babies.
RO water filters achieve high purity levels by forcing water through a semipermeable membrane using water pressure. This process effectively removes:
- Sodium
- Chloride
- Fluoride
- Arsenic
- Sediment
- Volatile organic compounds
- Pesticides, herbicides, PFAS, and nanoplastics
Mineral Content in RO Water
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends drinking water contain:
- 100 mg/L of dissolved salts
- 30 mg/L of calcium
- 10 mg/L of magnesium
- 30 mg/L of bicarbonate ion
These levels can be measured with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) reader.
Complete Home Filtration’s RO filters include a fourth treatment stage that adds trace elements of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and mineral salts, achieving a pH of 8.4. This ensures pure, contaminant-free water that retains necessary vital minerals.
Impact of Water Source on RO Filtration
RO filters are typically installed at point-of-use locations like bathroom or kitchen sinks. While source water quality can influence final purity, most customers aren’t significantly affected.
Australian municipal water is generally treated for chlorine and bacteria but may contain inorganic minerals and impurities. Private water sources might be untreated and could contain harmful contaminants like chemicals, viruses, bacteria, and heavy metals.
For private water sources, consider installing a pre-filter (sediment filter or UV system) to protect your RO system’s membrane and cartridges.
RO Systems Are Not Medical Devices
Home water filtration systems, including those with RO technology, aren’t designed to make non-potable or contaminated water safe for consumption. However, they can effectively remove unwanted chemicals and contaminants, providing high-quality, purified water for drinking, cooking, and washing.
Combining RO Systems with Water Softeners
Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from hard water, protecting appliances from limescale and softening water for showering and laundry. However, they don’t effectively remove other impurities, which is where RO systems excel.
While RO systems soften water during filtration, extremely hard water can reduce their performance and lifespan. Pairing a water softener with an RO system can be beneficial:
- The softener removes iron and other impurities that could clog the RO membrane.
- The RO filter removes sodium added by the water softener.
For optimal results, consider a whole-home water filter with a built-in softener, like those offered by Complete Home Filtration. These systems protect your RO unit’s components from chlorine, rust, lead, copper, and other potentially damaging particles.
Do Reverse Osmosis Systems Remove Water Hardness?
While reverse osmosis systems do remove minerals that cause water hardness (primarily calcium and magnesium), they are not specifically designed for this purpose. RO systems can effectively reduce water hardness, but they may not be the most efficient solution for extremely hard water.
For homes with very hard water, it’s often recommended to use a water softener in conjunction with an RO system. The water softener handles the bulk of hardness removal, protecting the RO membrane from premature fouling and extending its lifespan.
Reverse Osmosis vs. Distilled Water
RO and distilled water are produced through different processes:
- RO systems use multiple filtration layers, including the RO membrane.
- Distillation involves heating water to its boiling point, collecting the steam, and cooling it back into liquid form.
Are Reverse Osmosis and Distilled Water the Same?
While both processes result in highly purified water, they are not the same. Distillation can remove a higher percentage of contaminants, achieving nearly 100% purity. RO systems typically remove 95-99% of contaminants.
However, RO systems typically produce healthier water, blocking 99.8% of chemicals and contaminants while potentially retaining some beneficial minerals, especially if a remineralisation stage is included.
Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Over Distilled Water
- Remineralisation: Many RO systems, including those from Complete Home Filtration, include a Remineralisation stage to add back beneficial minerals. This is not possible with distillation.
- More Versatile: RO systems can be installed as point-of-use or whole-house systems, providing purified water on demand. Distillation typically requires batch processing.
- Less Expensive: RO systems are generally more cost-effective to operate than distillation systems, which require significant energy to heat water.
- Taste: RO water often tastes better than distilled water due to the presence of some minerals.
- Environmental Impact: RO systems typically use less energy than distillation processes, making them more environmentally friendly.
RO Water vs. Bottled Water
Many bottled water companies use RO purification. However, bottled water production involves significant waste in terms of energy, plastics, and petroleum.
RO technology, while highly effective, requires some efficiency sacrifices. It takes approximately three liters of water to produce one liter of purified water.
Benefits of a Reverse Osmosis Filtration System
Installing an RO system in your home allows you to:
- Eliminate single-use plastic bottles
- Replace small bench-top filter jugs
- Protect your health and family from contaminants
By investing in a reverse osmosis system, you can enjoy high-quality, purified water throughout your home, ensuring both safety and taste.
