Debunking Myths About RO Water: What You Need to Know

 

Water purifiers are an indispensable household appliance in all of the urban and semi-urban parts of India. However there still are some myths and misconceptions surrounding the RO purification system where some think RO water is acidic and some believe it strips water of all the essential minerals. What really is the truth though? Is RO water completely safe? Let’s dispel some of these myths.

What is RO Purification and how does it work?

Reverse Osmosis technology or simply the RO technology is a just application of the science phenomenon of reverse osmosis where water is passed through a semipermeable membrane to filter out contaminants like heavy metals, and invisible microbes, that are harmful to us.

Why It’s Effective:

• Layered Filtration: RO systems combine sediment filters, activated carbon, and high-pressure membranes to target different impurities.

• Beyond TDS Removal: While RO lowers Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), modern systems retain beneficial minerals using TDS controllers and remineralization filters.

• Safer Than Boiling: Unlike boiling, which only kills bacteria, RO removes harmful metals and chemical residues, making it a more comprehensive purification method.

Myth 1: RO Water Removes All Essential Minerals

The Myth: RO purification eliminates all minerals from water, making it unhealthy and unsuitable for long-term consumption. Since minerals are essential for the body, RO water is often believed to be inferior to other sources.

The Truth: While RO does remove some minerals, its primary purpose is to eliminate harmful contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and bacteria. Modern RO purifiers include TDS controllers and mineralizers that restore essential minerals like calcium and magnesium, ensuring a balanced composition. Moreover, the majority of essential minerals come from food, not water, making RO-purified water both safe and beneficial.

Myth 2: RO Water Is Acidic and Harmful for Health

The Myth: RO water is too acidic and can harm the body over time. Since RO filtration lowers water’s pH, many assume it can lead to acidity-related health problems.

The Truth: RO water can have a slightly lower pH due to the removal of dissolved salts, but this doesn’t make it harmful. In fact, many common beverages like coffee, tea, and soda have a much lower pH than RO water. The body naturally regulates pH levels, so drinking slightly acidic water has no impact on overall health. Some RO systems even include pH-balancing filters to maintain neutral levels.

Myth 3: Boiling Water Is Better Than RO Purification

The Myth: Boiling water is just as effective as an RO purifier, making advanced filtration systems unnecessary.

The Truth: Boiling can kill bacteria and viruses, but it cannot remove dissolved impurities like arsenic, lead, and nitrates. In fact, prolonged boiling can increase contaminant concentration as water evaporates. RO filtration goes beyond microbial purification, eliminating both biological and chemical contaminants, ensuring truly safe and clean drinking water.

Myth 4: RO Water Weakens Immunity

The Myth: Drinking RO water weakens immunity because it lacks essential minerals and nutrients needed to support the body’s defense system.

The Truth: Water is not a primary source of nutrients—we get essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium primarily from food. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that while RO filtration removes some minerals, it also eliminates harmful contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides, which could otherwise weaken the immune system. Modern RO purifiers come with mineralizers, ensuring the water remains safe and balanced. Clean, contaminant-free water is far more beneficial to health than water with questionable impurities.

Myth 5: RO Wastewater Is Unusable

The Myth: RO purifiers waste a lot of water, making them environmentally unfriendly and impractical.

The Truth: While traditional RO systems discharge some wastewater, this water is perfectly usable for non-drinking purposes. It can be collected and used for cleaning, washing utensils, gardening, or even car washing. Manufacturers are also developing high-recovery RO systems that minimize waste, ensuring that more purified water is retained. Instead of discarding RO wastewater, simple reuse methods can make the process much more sustainable.

As you can clearly see most of the myths around RO water are just that, myths. RO purification system is among the most advanced purification systems in the world ensuring one has access to clean and safe drinking water free of microbial and chemical/physical contaminants. Safe potable water is still an issue in the world, more so in the underdeveloped countries and RO technology is the answer. The water it outputs is certified and 100% safe and one need not worry about the myths addressed here.