While reverse osmosis filtration is the method of choice for large-scale treatment facilities and the bottled water industry, it should not be the method of choice for homeowners, despite what manufacturers like GE and Ever-Pure would have you believe. Let's look at a few honest questions and answers.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for Your Health?
Home reverse osmosis filtration began during a time when the major contaminants that people had to deal with were naturally occurring substances. Most of them were removed through the system and people enjoyed better health by not ingesting things like lead, mercury and arsenic that had tainted their wells.
Today, the biggest issues that we have to deal with are synthetic and organic chemical contaminants, which are not removed through RO. Lead is still a problem in some areas, due to aging pipes. Lead is only reduced somewhat, through RO.
Homeowners with private wells should have testing completed and choose a system based on the contaminants present. RO is not the only option, today. Homeowners serviced by a public supplier do not need RO, plain and simple.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good to Drink, in terms of Taste?
No. The taste is stale or tasteless due to the absence of naturally occurring minerals. While, bad tasting chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, will still be present, ruining the taste.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for the Environment?
Because it requires the use of more electrical energy and creates gallons of wastewater, osmosis filtration is not an environmentally friendly choice.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good for Your Pocketbook?
Home purifiers, including reverse osmosis filtration, cost more to purchase, more to maintain and increase energy consumption. So, no, they are not good for your family's budget. There are more effective, less expensive options.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water Good, Overall?
No. The best choice for homeowners serviced by a public supplier is multi-stage selective purification. These systems are advanced enough to remove more than 99% of any traces of lead, copper and other metals, chemical contaminants, such as chlorine and its cancer-causing byproducts and parasitic cysts, without reducing the natural mineral content.
Some of the cheaper systems on the market (PUR and Brita, for example) only include single stage granular activated carbon, so they will not remove many of the cancer-causing chemicals that are present. Read product performance data before you buy. You may think you are getting a good deal, when in fact you are not fully protecting your health.
In terms of taste, healthfulness and affordability, selective purification cannot be beat. It is naturally occurring minerals that give water a fresh taste. When selective filters identify traces of lead and other metals, they are exchanged for healthy potassium and sodium ions, through a process called "ion exchange".
You can buy a selective system for the kitchen tap for around a hundred dollars. Effective systems that include reverse osmosis filtration cost closer to "eight" hundred dollars. What sounds like the best buy, to you?
Dominic Anderton is a dedicated reseacher on the health benefits of purified drinking and bath water. Visit his site now at http://www.pure-and-safe-water.com to get the facts on how to choose the best water purification system.
