9 Best Alternatives To Reverse Osmosis Systems (2023) - Aqua Professor (2024)
Despite being one of the best filtration techniques, reverse osmosis has downsides. Some of them include the lack of concentration of minerals in reverse osmosis water and high amounts of wastewater produced.
You can use several alternatives present in the market to resolve your water issues, like distillers, basic sediment filters, carbon filters, etc.
Here is a detailed guide on the 9 best alternatives to reverse osmosis systems. Follow this article to know which suits you the best!
Requires use of electricity but least environmental impact overall.
Distillers are less expensive and low effort when it comes to maintenance as compared to RO Filters
$150
Alkaline filter
Adds minerals to water
Lesser environmental damage
Easier to install and low maintenance
$30
Carbon Filters
Lesser pure water than RO
Negligible environmental damage
Easier to install, and requires frequent cartridge replacements
$15
Sediment filters
Only works for sediments, and does not remove organic chemical contaminants
Not much environmental damage
Easy installation and maintenance
$45
Water Pitchers
Much lower efficiency as compared to RO
You will have more water waste with the RO, but that water is ultimately recycled.
Easy installation, zero maintenance
$12
Ion Exchange
Works well for inorganic mineral ion impurities
Can cause water wastage
Easy installation and maintenance can be tiresome as the resin bed needs frequent cleaning and replacement
$11
UV + UF
Good for the elimination of bacterial contamination
Negligible environmental damage
Easy to install and maintain
$7
Gravity Filters
Less efficient than RO Filters
Negligible environmental damage
Easy to install and maintain
$35
Countertop Filters
Work well, but they have a low filtration capacity
Negligible environmental damage
Easy to install and maintain
$42
Also Read: Top 5 Tankless RO Choices
1️⃣ Distillers
Distillers do an excellent job at eliminating contaminants from water. The water quality matches reverse osmosis. In fact, experts consider distilled water to be one of the purest forms of water for a balanced diet. During distillation, water is first boiled and turned into vapors. These vapors are then condensed and turned into a liquid form free from all impurities.
The problem with distillers is that they can be very time-consuming, have electrical energy consumption, and the output can be meagre and not worth the effort required.
2️⃣ Alkaline Filters
These filters are the exact opposite of reverse osmosis filters. While reverse osmosis filters remove all types of impurities from water, alkaline filters are used to remineralize water and add back the vitamins and minerals needed in the water.
Alkaline filters do nothing to filter the water for contaminants like lead.
3️⃣ Carbon Filters
Carbon filters are a great option for having an affordable filter that can easily remove bacterial contamination and produce healthy fresh water. These filters are not expensive; they inhibit bacterial growth, remove chlorine very well, and retain the essential minerals in the water.
The downside is that they do not perform well when removing sediments, viruses, excess minerals, etc. Carbon filters can be activated carbon blocks or granular activated carbon.
4️⃣ Sediment filters
Reverse osmosis filters do not remove the sediments themselves. Even they use a sediment prefilter to remove sediment impurities from water. Sediment filters help remove contaminants with a size of 5 microns or larger.
5️⃣ Water pitchers
A handy alternative to reverse osmosis filters are water pitchers. They are small, easy-to-use filters that can provide you with instant filtered clean water.
The main downside of water pitchers is the capacity. Since they are small, the filtration capacity is really low and may not be suitable for all households.
Produces more waste water than RO systems. You have to replace filters every two months, twice as much as a traditional reverse osmosis filter.
Also Read: How To Take Apart Brita Pitcher
6️⃣ Ion Exchange
The ion exchange method is another alternative to reverse osmosis. The water is passed through a resin bed where the unwanted mineral ions are exchanged and eliminated. The water is made free from all kinds of mineral and inorganic impurities.
The ion exchange method’s downside is that it cannot remove organic impurities like bacteria, organic chemicals, etc. Moreover, the resin bed itself becomes vulnerable to bacterial growth over time.
7️⃣ UV + UF
The ultraviolet filtration technique is very efficient at killing the microorganisms in the water. It eliminates all bacterial contamination from water and provides clean, healthy water. They are an energy-efficient low-cost type of filtration technique.
The downside is that UV can only filter out microorganisms and bacterial impurities, and they do not work well with inorganic and other sediment contamination in water.
8️⃣ Gravity Filters
These are portable water filters. These can be used to filter water that comes from natural sources like water or lakes. They can provide you with instant fresh water. They can come in very handy when going on a nature adventure.
The limitations include a slower filtration rate than pressured water filters, less capacity, and lesser efficiency.
9️⃣ Countertop Filters
These small, easy-to-install filters are a good option for smaller homes and people on a budget. Although, you must note that countertop filters, being smaller in size, have a lesser output volume and may not be able to keep up with your household needs.
As a final note, know this:"When filtering water you have to start with your reason for filtration before you determine the environmental impact. For example if someone says, "I have lead in my drinking water", then Alkaline, Carbon, and Sediment filtration won't do any good. *you can get Carbon filters with lead reduction*, but again, you have to determine need before environmental.This is also true if you live in an area with almost perfect water. (I used to live where the water from the aquifer was almost perfectly clean and soft with no treatment). In this case we used sediment only because everything else was good." -u/PercMaint in r/WaterTreatment
Why Shouldn’t You Use Reverse Osmosis? (Medical Science)
When it comes to the use of reverse osmosis as a filtration technique for water, there are many myths surrounding the topic. With the growth of the internet and social media, it has become easy to get anything and everything up on the web. It becomes difficult in such scenarios to tell myth from fact.
But don’t you worry, I’ve got you covered. Yes, reverse osmosis has some disadvantages, but not everything negative that you find online about RO systems is true.
Let’s discuss some common myths about reverse osmosis:
#1 Myth: Minerals in Drinking Water Are Necessary
Fact: While minerals (up to a certain amount) are necessary for the body, the source of the minerals is hardly ever an issue. Also, most of the body’s mineral requirements are taken care of by the food intake one gets.
Even in the best-case scenarios, only 6.5 percent of mineral requirements is provided by water consumption, and the rest is up to the food.
So, even though reverse osmosis water may lack certain minerals, it is not necessarily a major downside for the treatment method. Also, there are several ways in which one can have their reverse osmosis water remineralized.
#2 Myth: Reverse Osmosis Water Attacks the Body
Fact: Even though reverse osmosis water may have low TDS levels, the notion that it may cause the degeneration of mucous membranes of the body or cause deficiency of minerals in the bloodstream is wrong.
No proven studies can say that the consumption of water with low levels of total dissolved solids causes any major health problems.
Many studies and surveys, including those done by WHO, say there is no health-based guideline value for TDS levels in water and that they are not established because it is not of health concern at levels found in drinking water.
#3 Myth: Alternative Technologies Are Just as Effective
Fact: Yes, there are quite a few alternative options available for reverse osmosis, but you have to keep in mind that they may not be as effective as reverse osmosis technology. The others might eliminate impurities up to a certain level.
Still, only Reverse Osmosis successfully eliminates all and every type of contamination, providing you with nothing but the purest form of drinking water.
Now that we have addressed some myths about reverse osmosis water, it’s time to flip over to the other side of the coin, i.e. the disadvantages.
There are a few disadvantages of reverse osmosis water as well, which are discussed in detail below:
There is no doubt about the efficiency of reverse osmosis filters. These filters are so good at what they do that they literally eliminate everything from the water. The result is the removal of even the healthy minerals from water. The reverse osmosis treated water lacks certain vitamins and minerals and becomes demineralized.
The reverse osmosis filters are so good at what they do that they come at a price that might not be low. Reverse Osmosis filters can be expensive, and maintenance isn’t a piece of cake either. The filtration systems are expensive, and the filters might cost you a lot with the frequent replacement needed to keep functioning effectively.
Since reverse osmosis treated water does not have any sort of minerals or vitamins, the pH of such water may not be as alkaline as mineralized water. This lack of alkaline water may cause it to develop a flat taste that everyone may not appreciate.
Due to such limitations of the reverse osmosis filter, there are a few alternatives to this treatment method which we have already discussed earlier.
When Should You Not Consider RO Alternatives? (Don’t Ignore This)
We have now covered the disadvantages and alternatives of reverse osmosis water. However, it is not always disadvantageous to use reverse osmosis. There are situations wherein the use of reverse osmosis water becomes necessary.
Also Read: Top 5 Waterdrop Filters
Before we dive into what all situations ask for the mandatory use of reverse osmosis, let’s understand how exactly the RO systems work.
Definition:
Reverse osmosis water filtration systems, or RO, are a purification technique used to eliminate contamination from water. Reverse osmosis uses a semipermeable membrane, and impurities and contaminants are removed from drinking water via diffusion through the semi-permeable membrane.
During reverse osmosis, two streams are formed, the solute stream and the solvent stream. In this case, the solvent stream is what is of use to us, as it is the purified drinking water suitable for consumption. The solute stream eliminates all sorts of chemical and organic impurities.
The reverse osmosis process is an excellent water purification method when the main water issue you are facing is the presence of bacterial and organic contaminants. The reverse osmosis membrane successfully removes all herbicidal or pesticide impurities from water.
While this may be a plus point for reverse osmosis, the downside is that reverse osmosis water may lack certain minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron, etc., that are necessary for human needs. Other than that, they are expensive and have tiresome maintenance considering replacement filters, etc.
Now, let’s talk about when exactly you should not consider reverse osmosis alternatives. There are some situations where going for a reverse osmosis alternative won’t suffice. Sometimes, the job can only be done by RO filters.
If you’re residing in an area where the water supply is contaminated with herbicides and pesticides, you should stick to reverse osmosis only. Only RO is the water treatment method that can resolve your water issues in this case.
If you’re worried about the lack of minerals in reverse osmosis treated water, remember that there are always several ways to remineralize water.
It is also a fact that most mineral requirements of the human body are tended to by the food intake, i.e. the minerals that are necessary for us are present in the food we consume and is not much dependent on our water intake.
Ensure you are consuming freshly treated reverse osmosis water and keeping up with your hydration needs.
Best Alternatives to Reverse Osmosis: Frequently Asked Questions
Is boiling water as good as reverse osmosis?
No. When it comes to purifying water, reverse osmosis is a much better option than boiling water. While boiling water may only remove impurities like iron and manganese, reverse osmosis is a much-advanced technique that removes the said mineral impurities, kills bacteria, and eliminates other contaminants from water.
Is reverse osmosis water banned in Europe?
No. Europe has not banned reverse osmosis water. Although many people may have decided to boycott reverse osmosis water, no European government has banned the use of reverse osmosis.
Do you need to filter water if you have a water softener?
Yes, since water softeners only resolve the issue of hardness in water, you will also need to add a water filter to eliminate other contaminants from water.
Does RO water cause kidney stones?
No. On the contrary, RO might help reduce the risk of kidney stones as kidney stones are formed due to excess calcium in the bloodstream. Since RO helps eliminate hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium, they help reduce the chances of risk of kidney stones.
Does RO water cause hair loss?
No. There have been no confirmed studies that indicate that the use of RO water contributes to or causes problems like hair loss.
Adarsh Pillai
Adarsh is a Health & Nutrition Sciences graduate with expertise in environmental health. He is associated with ventures like Glacier Fresh Filter and Simpure Filter Systems. Through Aqua Professor, he intends to provide helpful information to every home to help them make smarter decisions.
If you are not sure is reverse osmosis safe to drink, with reverse osmosis water you will be exposed to fewer contaminants than drinking unfiltered tap water. Reverse osmosis itself is effective at removing or reducing the following contaminants commonly found in tap water: Protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
Lastly, overall reverse osmosis does the best job of filtering out contaminants. Because of how microscopic RO filtration is, there is a much higher level of filtration, which yields cleaner water. Dozens of customers agree reverse osmosis water treatment is worth the price you pay.
Most test results and comparison sites do recommend Berkey Filters as No1 filter system on the market today so Yes we recommend Berkey filters instead of Reverse osmosis as the Berkey gives you a perfectly clean and pure drinking water without taking any good minerals out.
According to the World Health Organization, low mineral (TDS) drinking water produced by reverse osmosis or distillation is not suitable for long term human consumption and in fact, can create negative health effects to those consuming it. This lack of minerals may also impact the taste negatively for many people.
Filtered water is good for kidney health because it has fewer contaminants. Reverse osmosis filtration removes impurities like bacteria, organic compounds, chemicals, and heavy metals that can cause diseases. This means that your kidneys have to filter out fewer impurities, resulting in cleaner blood.
Mineral, structured, and pure spring water are some of the healthiest water you can drink because they're clean and contain all the essential minerals your body needs. Filtered water removes contaminants but might also remove essential minerals.
Consuming reverse osmosis (RO) water for even a few months can create serious side effects, warns WHO. It has been scientifically confirmed that drinking reverse osmosis water causes more bodily harm and faster than most contaminants found in tap water.
As you're researching water filtration options, you might notice that RO systems are more expensive than pitcher, countertop and other basic filter configurations. Why is this? The simple answer is that reverse osmosis is a unique filtration process — one that other filters don't offer.
While RO systems can improve water quality, these systems can also generate a significant amount of water waste to operate. For example, a typical point-of-use RO system will generate five gallons or more of reject water for every gallon of permeate produced.
Now you have the answer as to why Berkey water filters are banned in California. It is mainly because of the no-lead law, which prohibits the sale of non-tested and non-certified water filters.
This is because they're made of stainless steel and other high-quality materials. The filters themselves, the company says, are made of more than six different materials including high-grade coconut shell carbon. In addition, the high cost of independent testing for water purification may add to the price.
Berkey removes >95% of nitrites but does not remove nitrates. If you filter water with a Berkey >99.9% of all toxic herbicides and pesticides will be removed. Berkey reduces petroleum pollutants (including crude oil, diesel, gasoline, kerosene, mineral spirits, and refined oil) by more than 99.9%.
A study conducted at SSG Hospital has found this. The study has revealed that RO water consumption is an emerging risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency, as cobalt, an essential component of vitamin B12, gets removed through the RO system.
Reverse osmosis systems stand as some of the most reliable options when it comes to water filtration. If you're healthy, fit and have a rich diet, the lack of minerals in RO water will have no effect on your kidney whatsoever.
Water can be remineralized by adding trace mineral drops or Himalayan Sea salt to drinking water or by using alkaline water pitchers or bottles for drinking water. However, these can deliver only small volumes of water, require constant re-filling and the filters have to be replaced every one to three months.
Pure, naturally-filtered water is the best thing you can drink for good kidney health. And installing a cost-effective, energy-efficient, and convenient bottled water cooler can be the best way to get it.
Everyone knows that Reverse Osmosis (RO) filters or systems excel at removing water impurities, but few are aware that they also remove beneficial minerals. In fact, the reverse osmosis process removes 92-99% of beneficial calcium and magnesium. In addition, it removes an even greater amount of trace elements.
Most bottled water is actually tap water—about sixty four percent by some estimates. Many bottled water brands simply repackage tap water, and make a killing on it. Coca-Cola owns Dasani, PepsiCo owns Aquafina and LIFEWTR, Nestle owns PureLife and Poland Spring, among others.
Avoid using rainwater for drinking, cooking, brushing your teeth, or rinsing or watering plants that you intend to eat. Instead, use municipal tap water if it is available, or purchase bottled water for these purposes.
You can use RO water to wash your hair , it will not make any difference to your hair but yes its better to use RO water than using hard water. Using RO water gives a neutral environment for both skin and hair. If you still feel your hair dry and frizzy it is clearly linked to the products.
It is also observed that RO water increases your risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. According to epidemiological studies conducted all across the world, water low in magnesium and calcium increases the rate of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
Reverse Osmosis is a water treatment technology most commonly known for its use in the purification of drinking water. It is likely you have consumed reverse osmosis water under the recognized brands Aquafina®, Dasani®, Nestle Pure Life® and Smart Water®.
Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.
Installation costs vary with the type of system but can run anywhere from $100 to $800 or more depending on the type of system. Complex whole home installs could be even more costly, and any price is likely to vary based on location and other factors.
At Culligan we make and assemble our products. While some components may come from outside the USA, our products are designed and assembled domestically. We follow strict corporate guidelines that meet and often exceed industry standards.
There is virtually no tried-and-tested evidence to suggest that reverse osmosis water is harmful to your health. If you eat a balanced diet and do not suffer from conditions like severe acid reflux or gastrointestinal ulcers, drinking reverse osmosis water will have no impact on your overall health and wellbeing.
A reverse osmosis system should be sanitized once each year. It's a good idea to thoroughly sanitize your Reverse Osmosis system while replacing the reverse osmosis water filters, and most filters are replaced every 12 months.
Ideally, you should completely drain your RO storage tank about every 2 weeks. Draining your tank ensures that the water will remain fresh, as well as helping the reverse osmosis membrane maintain the pressure it needs to flush out impurities.
How much water does an RO system use? Generally, the reverse osmosis process takes 4 gallons of water to make one gallon of purified water. The amount of water used is based on the water supply and the RO system itself.
There are some contaminants not removed from water by RO systems. Reverse osmosis units do not effectively remove most organic compounds, bacterial microorganisms, chlorine by-products, or dissolved gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and radon.
The Alexapure Pro is another gravity filter system that's similar to Berkey and ProOne. It's less expensive, though. The main part is stainless steel, and it has a plastic spigot. Alexapure comes with a single carbon block filter encased in a hybrid ceramic shell.
Heavy metals were removed to greater than 99.1% after it was poured into the Berkey. Coliform and e-Coli were also removed to over 99.9% after the testing.
Berkey Water Filters do not have NSF certification for two main reasons. First, the independent lab tests we have, test for far more contaminants than the applicable NSF certifications. Secondly, the fees for NSF certifications are very cost-prohibitive for what is being tested.
All Berkey water filters fitted with Black Berkey filter elements can remove 99% of arsenic, and when combined with a fluoride and arsenic filter fitted in the lower chamber, will remove 99.9% or more of arsenic.
A small number of customers reported experiencing a metallic taste in the water from their new Berkey water filter system. Definitely an unexpected and unwanted taste. This is easily remedied and not a long-lasting issue.
If you are traveling away from your Berkey system with Fluoride Filters, you will need someone to run water through your refrigerated Fluoride Filters, every 14 days, as if they were in normal use in order to keep them wet.
This cleaning method has the potential to introduce harmful bacteria and hinder the filter's performance. In short, any attempt to clean the filter could actually create an unsanitary environment for your drinking water.
The short answer would be no.These two aren't the same thing. Alkaline water is known to help with acid reflux, the appearance of your skin, detoxification, hydration, and much more. On the other hand, reverse osmosis water system is a filtration method that treats and removes harmful contaminants from water.
Ion exchange produces around 2% to 4% wastewater, while RO can produce 10% to 50% (on average) of the volume of treated water. This is why, if you live in a location that offers limited water to your house or has high wastewater disposal costs, ion exchange is the best option for you.
Reverse osmosis units do not effectively remove most organic compounds, bacterial microorganisms, chlorine by-products, or dissolved gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and radon.
Mineral, structured, and pure spring water are some of the healthiest water you can drink because they're clean and contain all the essential minerals your body needs. Filtered water removes contaminants but might also remove essential minerals.
Is alkaline water better for you than plain water? Answer From Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. For most people, alkaline water is not better than plain water. Bottled water sold as alkaline water, which is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, might have nutrients added to it to achieve an alkaline pH.
There is virtually no tried-and-tested evidence to suggest that reverse osmosis water is harmful to your health. If you eat a balanced diet and do not suffer from conditions like severe acid reflux or gastrointestinal ulcers, drinking reverse osmosis water will have no impact on your overall health and wellbeing.
Water can be remineralized by adding trace mineral drops or Himalayan Sea salt to drinking water or by using alkaline water pitchers or bottles for drinking water. However, these can deliver only small volumes of water, require constant re-filling and the filters have to be replaced every one to three months.
A carbon filter alone removes approximately 10-15% of all contaminants or total dissolved solids (TDS).Reverse osmosis, on the other hand, removes 95-97% of TDS. This is why in areas with high TDS such as Phoenix, a store-bought carbon filter can't make your tap water taste like a bottle of water.
The average cost for a gallon of water in the U.S. is 0.006 cents. Because reverse osmosis systems waste approximately four gallons of water for every one gallon of filtered water they create, a gallon of reverse osmosis water costs the price of five gallons of water, or 0.03 cents.
Reverse osmosis is not designed to remove bacteria. In fact, we now know that bacteria can grow inside the tank and that in some cases, such bacteria can be very detrimental to some individuals. RO tanks can literally become "incubators" for bacteria.. that's scary!
Reverse Osmosis Remove Minerals. Reverse Osmosis (RO) removed more than 90-99.99% of all the contaminants including minerals from the drinking water supply (see Figure 1).
Introduction: My name is Arielle Torp, I am a comfortable, kind, zealous, lovely, jolly, colorful, adventurous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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