If you’ve spent any time online
lately, you’ve probably seen people claiming that reverse osmosis water is
“dead water” or that it’s unhealthy because it removes minerals.
The truth is, there’s a lot of
confusion online between reverse osmosis water and distilled water, and
unfortunately, misinformation spreads quickly.
Let’s clear a few things up.
First of All – What Is Reverse
Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the
most effective forms of water filtration available today.
A genuine five stage reverse osmosis
system uses pressure and a semi-permeable membrane to remove contaminants from
drinking water.
It can reduce:
Heavy metals
Chlorine
Fluoride
Sodium
Sediment
Bacteria
Viruses
Chemicals and dissolved impurities
This is why reverse osmosis is widely
used around the world in hospitals, laboratories, desalination plants, food
production, and high quality drinking water systems.
Is Reverse Osmosis Water “Dead Water”?
No.
This phrase is not a scientific term.
It’s mostly internet marketing language.
People often confuse reverse osmosis
water with distilled water because both processes remove impurities. However,
they are not the same thing.
Distilled water is created by boiling
water into steam and condensing it back into liquid. Reverse osmosis uses
membrane filtration instead.
RO water is simply highly filtered
drinking water.
But Doesn’t RO Remove Minerals?
Yes, reverse osmosis can reduce
minerals such as calcium and magnesium, however it is also reducing contaminants.
However, this is where context
matters.
Many people online make it sound like
drinking water is our main source of minerals. In reality, the vast majority of
our vitamins and minerals should come from food, especially:
Fruit and vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Dairy or alternatives
Meat, seafood, legumes, and whole
foods
Water is not intended to be your
primary nutritional source.
Even health experts acknowledge that
while some tap water contains minerals, food remains the major source of
essential nutrients.
For example, a handful of almonds or a
serving of spinach contains significantly more magnesium than most tap water
supplies.
Where Do Minerals in Tap Water
Actually Come From?
This surprises many people.
The minerals found in tap water are
generally not “added for health benefits.” Most naturally occur because water
travels through rocks, soil, pipes, and underground systems, picking up
dissolved minerals along the way.
Council water treatment plants also
add chemicals such as chlorine or chloramine to disinfect water and make it
safe for public supply.
That doesn’t mean tap water is unsafe.
Australia has high drinking water standards, but it does mean that “minerals in
tap water” are not the same thing as getting nutrients from fresh whole foods.
Reverse Osmosis Is Specialised For
Drinking Water
A genuine five stage reverse osmosis
system is specifically designed for high quality drinking water.
It works at a much finer level than
standard whole of house filtration and is designed to reduce dissolved
contaminants and impurities directly from the water you drink and cook with.
That’s why many households choose to
combine both:
Whole-of-house filtration for the home
overall
Reverse osmosis specifically for
drinking water
Rather than replacing each other, the
two systems can actually work together.
Why Do So Many People Prefer Reverse
Osmosis Water?
Most people choose reverse osmosis for
one simple reason:
Taste and purity.
RO water removes many of the things
people dislike about tap water, including:
Chlorine taste and smell
Excess dissolved solids (TDS)
Metallic taste
Sediment
Chemical aftertaste
That’s why tea, coffee, ice, cooking,
cordial, baby formula, and even pets’ water bowls often taste noticeably better
with reverse osmosis water.
The Important Thing Nobody Talks About
Not all “reverse osmosis” systems are
actually true RO systems.
A genuine five stage reverse osmosis
system must have:
An RO membrane
A drain line to remove rejected
contaminants
Waste water discharge (because
contaminants are eliminated, not absorbed)
If a system has no reject water or no
membrane, it’s not reverse osmosis.
At Waterchoice, we specialise
specifically in genuine five stage reverse osmosis drinking water systems
designed to produce high quality purified drinking water for homes and
businesses across Western Australia.
The Bottom Line
Reverse osmosis water is not “dead
water.”
It is highly filtered drinking water
designed to reduce contaminants, chemicals, dissolved solids, and impurities.
Yes, RO systems reduce minerals, but
your body should primarily be getting its nutrients from a balanced diet, not
from whatever happens to be dissolved in tap water.
And while whole of house filtration
systems are excellent for protecting your home and improving general water
quality, reverse osmosis is specialised specifically for purified drinking
water.
Want to improve your drinking water?
Get in touch with us today.
Phone or text 0419 964 225
Email info@waterchoice.com.au
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