What is better for your health and wallet: RO or bottled water
With worries over water quality and plastic waste on the ascent, many individuals are searching for the most ideal choice for perfect, safe drinking water. Two famous decisions are reverse osmosis (RO) sifted water and filtered water. In any case, which one is better for your wellbeing and wallet? Here is an inside and out examination of the advantages and disadvantages of RO water versus filtered water.
The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water
Reverse osmosis utilizes high-pressure pushing water through a semipermeable membrane to remove contaminants. An RO system can eliminate up to 99% of impurities from water by screening out particles as tiny as ions and molecules. Here are some key benefits of filtered RO water:
- Removes Impurities: RO removes heavy metals like lead and mercury, along with other contaminants like chlorine, fluoride, bacteria, and pharmaceuticals. This results in cleaner, safer drinking water.
- May Improve Health: By reducing toxins and hazardous substances, RO water may help prevent certain health conditions. Studies link avoiding contaminated water to lower risks of cancer, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders.
- Enhances Taste: RO filtration strips away compounds that cause unpleasant odors and flavors in water. RO water tastes light and refreshing.
- Convenience: Having an under-sink or counter-top RO system means high-quality drinking water is available fresh from the tap whenever you need it. No storing or lugging around bottled water required.
- Lower Cost Over Time: While RO systems require an upfront investment, the ongoing expense is minimal—just the negligible cost of water and periodic filter changes. Over the long-term, RO is typically much cheaper than purchasing bottled water.
The Downsides of RO Water
Despite its benefits, reverse osmosis water also has some drawbacks to consider:
- High Upfront Cost: RO systems range from $100 for a countertop model up to $1000+ for a whole house setup—a significant initial investment.
- Waste Water: RO produces a concentrated waste stream—for every 1 gallon of purified water, 3-5 gallons go down the drain. This can tax septic systems and is environmentally taxing.
- Filter Replacements: RO filters need replacing every 6-12 months to maintain effectiveness, adding to long-term costs.
- Mineral Loss: Along with contaminants, RO also strips out potentially beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This makes remineralization necessary to restore taste and health properties.
The Pros and Cons of Bottled Water
Now let's examine the key benefits and drawbacks of bottled water:
Benefits of Bottled Water:
- Convenience: Bottled water is easily portable and available practically everywhere—from vending machines to grocery stores. The convenience factor is a major appeal for many bottled water drinkers.
- Taste: Bottled water brands often advertise their light, clean taste. Treatment processes like reverse osmosis remove unpleasant tastes and odors from municipal tap water sources.
- Perceived Safety: Though not always the case, bottled water is often viewed as a safer alternative than tap water. For travelers unsure of local water quality, bottled water seems like a smart choice.
- Variety: From spring waters to mineral-enhanced blends, bottled waters come in an array of flavors and types. The options cater to different tastes and needs.
The Downsides of Bottled Water:
- Environmental Impact: Bottles require plastic made from fossil fuels. Only about 30% of plastic bottles are recycled in the US. The rest end up in landfills, oceans, and waterways.
- Questionable Quality: About 25% of bottled water is just municipal tap water that's been purified. Some independent analysis has found contaminants in certain bottled water brands. Quality is inconsistent.
- High Costs: Bottled water costs anywhere from $1 to $5 per gallon—thousands of times more expensive than tap water. These costs really add up over time.
- Health Hazards from Plastic: Bottles may leach chemicals like BPA into the water, especially when exposed to heat and sunlight. These substances can disrupt hormones and cause other health issues.
The Verdict: RO Water is the Smarter Choice
When comparing the pros and cons, reverse osmosis filtered water is typically the healthier, more economical option over bottled water. Although the upfront cost is higher, a quality RO system will provide years of affordable, convenient access to cleaner, safer water.
RO effectively removes a wide range of contaminants without adding other risks—like plastic chemicals leaching into the water. And while no filtration is 100% perfect, WTC notoriously lax regulation of the bottled water industry provides no guarantee those products are any purer than tap water.
For those concerned about losing minerals, adding a remineralization filter or mineral drops to RO water can help restore beneficial elements like calcium and magnesium. And the environmental impact of plastic waste from bottled water is increasingly too hazardous to justify the small conveniences.
In summary, for most people, investing in an under-sink or counter-top RO filtration system makes the healthiest and most economical choice for obtaining clean, contaminant-free drinking water. While no solution is perfect, RO water is clearly the winner when going head-to-head against bottled water. The lower long-term costs and environmental benefits make it the smarter choice for staying hydrated.
