When deciding which home filtration system to purchase, its impact on water quality is often a primary concern. If a reverse osmosis system is on your list, you’re in luck! An RO water purifier can clean water to 90% – 99% purity levels, a number that rivals pure distilled water.
As part of our series on reverse osmosis water filters, this article breaks down some of the big questions around RO purified water, like whether it’s safe to drink, how it compares to distilled or bottled water, and whether you still need a water softener. Let’s get into it.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Safe To Drink?
Yes, reverse osmosis systems offer clean, safe water for you and your family. We also believe they’re the perfect choice for customers with specific health advice to drink pure water, or for those with bottle-fed babies.
It’s the level of purity reverse osmosis water filters provide that makes them so beneficial. The system removes contaminants from the water by forcing it through a semipermeable membrane by means of water pressure. The technology within RO water purification systems effectively removes impurities from your water including sodium, chloride, fluoride, arsenic, sediment, volatile organic compounds, and other hard-to-remove contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, PFAS, and nanoplastics.
What About Vital Minerals?
According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), drinking water should contain 100 mg/L of dissolved salts, 30 mg/L of calcium, 10 mg/L of magnesium, and 30 mg/L of bicarbonate ion. Levels of these minerals can be measured with a TDS (total dissolved solids) reader.
Many prospective buyers are concerned that a reverse osmosis water filter might make their water too pure, removing these vital minerals in the water filtration process. Here at Complete Home Filtration, our reverse osmosis filters have a fourth treatment stage, which adds trace elements of calcium, magnesium, potassium and mineral salts to a pH of 8.4—leaving you with pure, contaminant-free water that still provides necessary levels of vital minerals.
Does My Water Source Matter?
A reverse osmosis filter is typically installed at the point of use, such as in a bathroom or kitchen sink, either tankless or under-sink. Because reverse osmosis systems purify drinking water directly from the source, its purity will be influenced by that source to some extent. However, the vast majority of customers will be unaffected.
Most municipal or Water Corporation-supplied water here in Australia is treated for chlorine and bacteria, yet still has inorganic minerals and impurities—hence the need for a reverse osmosis system. Private water sources (well water, for example), may not be treated and could still contain harmful contaminants, such as chemicals, viruses, bacteria, and heavy metals (lead, arsenic, etc.).
If your water comes from a private source, it may also contain particles that could clog the RO membrane. To ensure the proper function of your filter cartridges and the longevity of the reverse osmosis water purifier, consider installing a sediment filter, UV system, or other filter to disinfect and soften your water before it reaches the RO system.
NOTE: This is NOT Medical Technology
It’s important to acknowledge that house water filtration systems are not designed to make non-potable or contaminated water safe for human consumption, even those equipped with reverse osmosis technology. However, if you have concerns about the potential health impacts of unwanted chemicals like chlorine and fluoride or contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals, a reverse osmosis filter can make sure your whole family is drinking, cooking, and washing with high-quality, purified water.
If I Have a Water Softener, Do I Need Reverse Osmosis?
Water softeners do a great job of removing calcium and magnesium in hard water sources—making them perfect for protecting appliances from limescale and softening water for showering and washing clothes.
However, softeners do not do a good job of removing impurities, which is where reverse osmosis systems come in. It’s also worth noting that, while RO systems soften water during the filtering process, extremely hard water can reduce the performance—and even the lifespan—of the RO membrane.
For this reason, pairing a water softener with a reverse osmosis system is beneficial as the two work well together. By softening your water before treating it with a reverse osmosis system, you can remove iron and other impurities that clog the membrane, while also removing sodium added by the water softener with the RO filter.
Take Your Water from Good to Great
For even better results, consider a whole-home water filter with a built-in softener, like the systems offered by Complete Home Filtration. In addition to keeping limescale out of your RO system’s membrane and tank, dedicated sediment, heavy metal, and activated carbon filters protect the unit’s delicate components from chlorine, rust, lead, copper, and many other gritty or damaging particles.
Water softening technology is a great way to reduce limescale and hard water damage to your home and plumbing, but complementing it with reverse osmosis filtering makes sure you have high quality water for drinking, cleaning, food preparation, and more – and the water tastes great!
Reverse Osmosis Water vs. Distilled Water
Reverse osmosis water and distilled water are two different things—each the result of a different treatment process.
In layman’s terms, RO systems purify water through multiple filtration layers, including the aforementioned RO membrane, while distilled water works by evaporating and condensing the water to separate and leave behind any dissolved solids.
If you measure exclusively by water purification, distilled water comes out on top. An RO water purifier can remove the vast majority of contaminants, but while its 0.0005-micron membrane significantly reduces dissolved chemicals like fluoride and sodium, it can’t guarantee 100% removal. Distillation separates the molecules completely, giving you completely pure water.
However, purity isn’t the same as water quality. RO systems typically produce healthier water than distillers, blocking 98.5% of chemicals and contaminants while leaving (or restoring) the magnesium and potassium that your body can benefit from. Both methods can produce great tasting water and keep things like chlorine, lead, and viruses out of a specific tap or faucet, but reverse osmosis is the more reliable option
The Better Option for Home Installation
Because of their convenience in providing clean, pure water on demand, reverse osmosis systems are becoming more popular for home use. The benefits of RO become even more apparent when the system in question includes a remineralisation stage, like those provided by Complete Home Filtration. Distilled Water systems, on the other hand, are typically less convenient, requiring a large amount of energy and human intervention. Our RO systems take up less space, don’t require heating or power, fit under your existing tap/faucet, and bring fantastic quality – and taste – for their price.
How Does RO Water Compare to Bottled Water?
Many bottled water companies understand the benefits of reverse osmosis, so most bottled water is RO purified. The problem, however, is in the waste involved in producing bottled water—from the amount of energy, plastics, and petroleum involved, and how much water is required in the process.
Reverse osmosis technology is highly effective, but that level of water purification requires some sacrifices in terms of efficiency. It takes roughly three litres of water to produce one litre of purified water,
Should You Buy a Reverse Osmosis Filtration System?
If you’re looking for a highly effective filtration system for your home, reverse osmosis systems are the perfect way to get clean, fresh, rejuvenating water for your home.
With RO systems, you can forget single use plastic bottles and tiny bench-top filter jugs and easily protect your health, family and home from contaminants.
To find out more about reverse osmosis filtration systems, read our comprehensive guide. Or to speak directly to an informed member of our team, contact us today.
