Does Reverse Osmosis Make Water Safe?

I have researched the disadvantages of reverse osmosis, quite extensively. I was wondering if reverse osmosis makes water safe to drink. And how does it do that? Let me share with you what I have seen.

Despite the disadvantages of reverse osmosis, it is an important step for treatment facilities and it has many miraculous industrial applications. It is just that those who promote this system for use in the home often exaggerate about the necessity.

Whenever you are shopping for anything, education is the best thing to take along. In fact, leave your credit cards at home, until you decide what the right choice for your family is. You could make and impulse buy and arrive back at home still wondering does reverse osmosis make water safe to drink. So, get your facts first.

There a few disadvantages of reverse osmosis that are not safety issues. There are environmental and economical drawbacks, so I'll cover those briefly, first.

They are expensive to buy, install and maintain. The replacement membranes last a maximum of 36 weeks and cost around $300 to replace. If the membrane is damaged, it may have to be replaced sooner. Bacteria can contaminate the membranes if your source waters are contaminated. A disinfection method is necessary to prevent this type of contamination.

Most units require electricity to operate, so that is another bill that the homeowner must consider. They create gallons of wastewater that has to be removed through a process called back flushing. That can be an environmental and an economic issue. What do you do with this wastewater? In most cases, it will end up in your sewer system.

Some of the newer models have many improvements beyond the traditional filter, but the disadvantages of reverse osmosis are still there. They have just added extra steps to address the issue of safety.

You see. The real answer to "does reverse osmosis make water safe to drink" is simple. To put it in blunt terms, the answer is no. Single stage systems only remove some of the contaminants that affect your health and safety.

That is why some of the newer systems have added an activated carbon granule or block phase. This phase removes chemical contaminants that are not removed through RO.

Some people are concerned about the disadvantages of reverse osmosis, because of microscopic cysts. People with weak immune systems are advised to purchase a sub-micron filtration purifier for their home. A reverse osmosis system that can remove particles smaller than a micron, that's about the size of a speck of dust on a pinhead, can remove microbial systems.

But, there are other sub-micron filtration systems that also remove cysts and cost a lot less. Knowing how reverse osmosis makes water safer to drink should help you choose the right system for your home.

For most of us, the disadvantages of reverse osmosis outweigh the benefits.