Clean drinking water is essential to life.
Just because water is clear doesn't mean it's clean. In fact, according to the CDC, 15 million households in the US get their water drinking water from private wells and are not covered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Unfortunately, just because you live in a first-world country doesn't immediately mean your home has access to clean drinking water.
If you're shopping for a home water filtration system, you've probably heard the term "reverse osmosis."
Unless you're a scientist, this term doesn't really mean much. Sure, you can trust that it's a fancy way to purify your water, but what does reverse osmosis really do, and what are the benefits?
In this article, we're going to dive into just that.
Let's get started!
What is Reverse Osmosis?
A reverse osmosis water filter cleans water on a molecular level. This means that the filter looks for molecular compounds that are smaller than the water itself. These can be things like lead, iron, mineral salts, and more.
To put it simply, imagine you're able to squeeze water like squeezing an orange. To make orange juice, you squeeze the liquid out of the fruit. Imagine the water with all the bad things in it is your orange, and imagine a reverse osmosis water filter is your juicer.
By squeezing the orange, you're removing the juice, and leaving all the seeds, pulp, and fruity meat behind. On a very basic level, this is how reverse osmosis works. You're separating the water from everything else you don't want.
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What Are The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water?
Drastically Fewer Contaminants
The biggest benefit to water that's been treated with a reverse osmosis filter is it contains drastically fewer contaminants. If you have well water or old pipes, your tap water may not be safe to drink.
Lead pipes, especially very old ones, can contaminate your water and be a danger to your health. According to the World Health Organization:
Lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems and is particularly harmful to young children. Lead in the body is distributed to the brain, liver, kidney, and bones. It is stored in the teeth and bones, where it accumulates over time. Human exposure is usually assessed through the measurement of lead in blood. There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.
Lead isn't something to play around with. If you have an older home with lead pipes, an excellent water filter, or a complete water filtration system isn't just important, it's essential.
Not only do reverse osmosis water filters keep you safe, but they also make your water taste better.
We gave a group of 10 participants a test. They were given 3 cups of water. One was straight from the tap, another was filtered using a basic water filter you can find in any store, and the 3rd was filtered using the reverse osmosis filter.
9/10 of the participants chose the water from the reverse osmosis filter as the best tasting.
While you may not notice it, tap water and water filtered by charcoal or another basic type of filter may taste alright, but when compared to the crisp, clean flavor of water filtered by reverse osmosis, there's a clear winner.
Raise Your Property Value
If you're looking to sell a home, or simply want to increase the worth of your investment, a reverse osmosis water filter can increase a homes value more than the cost of the filter installation itself.
This is especially true if you live in an area with well water, rather than city water, where the difference is more dramatic.
Water is a critical part of life. Even if your water is clear, it doesn't mean its free from contaminants. If you like the simplicity of drinking water straight from the tap, installing a reverse osmosis water filter is critical.
Normal tap water contains things like lead, Lyme, and other harmful contaminants.
A reverse osmosis water filter is the most effective way to clean water, so it's safe to drink and tastes great.
Are you considering installing a reverse osmosis water filter? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!