With the increase in human population and the rampant growth in the number of industries in India, there is a marked decrease in the quality of surface and groundwater resources.
The pollution has increased considerably necessitating the use of water purifying systems in every home. You have a majority of people opting for the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifying systems as they are the best equipped to handle such a high level of impurities.
The benefits of having an RO water purifier system
- RO water purifier systems can handle water with TDS levels greater than 1200 ppm.
- Most of the RO water purifier systems come with 6-stage or 7-stage water purification technologies.
- In addition to removing TDS, the RO water purifiers can eliminate heavy metal contamination such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.
- The RO water purifiers provide long-term protection as they can work efficiently for 10 to 15 years.
When you have such benefits of RO water purifiers, it is natural for people to harbour some myths about these RO water purifiers. We shall now bust these myths one by one.
Myth 1 – RO water purifiers eliminate healthy minerals from the water
The RO water purification process is such that the water passes through a semipermeable membrane that traps impurities and contaminants while allowing pure water to pass through.
The system is such that the membrane allows molecules having a molecular weight of less than 20 to move through freely while trapping those molecules with molecular weight over 20. Water molecules have a molecular weight of 18.
Hence, water molecules pass through the membrane easily. However, the TDS and other heavy metals are not able to pass through. As a result, you find that some healthy minerals like Calcium and Magnesium trapped by the membrane.
It gives rise to the speculation that RO water purifiers remove the healthy minerals as well. It was true of the earlier generation RO water purifiers. However, the present-day water purifiers come with separate arrangements like TDS controller or Mineralizer that ensure the replenishment of such essential minerals from the purified RO water.
Therefore, you will find the resultant RO purified water having these essential minerals. Thus, the present-generation RO water purifiers eliminate the harmful organic and inorganic matter alone while ensuring to retain/replenish the essential minerals like Calcium and Magnesium.
Myth 2 – RO purified water is not healthy for consumption
Critics opine that RO purifier water does not have the essential minerals in it. Therefore, it is fit for industrial use alone. According to them, RO purified water does not merit human consumption. However, research has proved otherwise.
The present-day RO water purifying machines are advanced ones that come with arrangements like TDS controllers and mineralisers. The function of these specific arrangements is to replenish or restore the essential chemicals that RO water purifying system tends to eliminate.
One has to concede that the RO purified water you get before being subject to treatment by the TDS controllers does not have any taste at all. It is because they do not have most of the essential minerals that contribute to the excellent taste of water.
The TDS controller or the Mineraliser (Mineral Booster in LG Water Purifiers) replenish these vital minerals selectively thereby ensuring that the final output is healthy for human consumption. The primary objective of the RO water purification process is to eliminate all harmful components from the water.
The TDS controllers and Mineralisers have the specific responsibility of enhancing the taste of the output water.
Myth 3 – The output RO purified water is acidic with low levels of pH
Many people have the misconception that RO water purifiers not only remove the essential minerals but also lower the pH level of water. We have already debunked the myth about the elimination of essential minerals.
We have also seen the importance of the specific arrangements like TDS controllers and Mineralisers in replenishing the vital minerals lost during the RO water purification process.
It is true that RO water purifiers remove the TDS from the source water and thereby reduce the pH value of the water to approximately 7. In some cases, the pH level of water even goes below 7 making the water slightly acidic.
The TDS controllers and mineralizers have the responsibility of restoring the pH value of the output water. However, consumption of somewhat acidic water does not harm the human body in any way. The milk and the beverages we drink are anyway acidic.
Our human body has the natural tendency to achieve the pH equilibrium through the food we consume. Therefore, this myth does not hold any value at all.
Myth 4 – The RO water purification process wastes a lot of water
The RO purification process is such that it removes the TDS and other harmful metal impurities from the source water. In the process, it discharges wastewater that contains all these harmful contaminants. T
he discharge of reject water depends on the quality of the input water. If the input water source has high levels of TDS, the quantity of reject water is more. However, that does not translate into wastage of water.
The reject water is anyway not suitable for human consumption. Nevertheless, you can still use the reject water for various other activities like watering plants, washing utensils, cleaning bathroom tiles, using it in the rinse cycle of washing machines, and so on.
The system of RO water purification is a highly advanced one. It ensures that it eliminates the harmful contaminants entirely from the water. In the process, if it wastes water, it should not be a problem at all.
Myth 5 – Soft water from RO water purifier can leave a slippery film on the skin when used for bathing or as a face wash
The presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium does not allow the soap to lather well. The RO purified water is soft water that does not have calcium and magnesium in large quantities. Hence, it will enable the skin to moisturize well. This moisturizing of the skin is the reason that it has a slippery film.
This film makes it easy to clean the dirt and the grime thereby making your skin smooth to touch. There is no need to panic over the formation of the greasy film over the surface. It is a sign that the skin is clean and smooth.
Myth 6 – Reverse Osmosis is a slow process
The primary objective of the RO water purifier is to purify water and provide pure and safe water for consumption. The water resources in India have a large quantity of TDS and other contaminants that can be harmful to health.
The RO water purification process is the best solution to get pure and safe water. One has to agree that the RO process is a bit slow, but you need time to eradicate the contaminants from the water source. It explains why every RO water purifier comes with a storage tank.
In the ordinary circumstances, an RO water purifier can easily provide 60 litres of pure water per day. That should suffice for an Indian family. At all times, you have a minimum of 6 to 8 litres of pure water in the storage tank. As and when you consume the water, the RO purification continues. Therefore, one need not wait to drink a glass of pure water at any time.
Myth 7 – Activated Carbon filters can remove chemical impurities more efficiently than RO water purifiers.
One has to concede that RO membranes cannot eliminate chlorine or fluorine from the water. The activated carbon filters can do so. At the same time, the activated carbon filters cannot remove TDS and other heavy metals.
Therefore, one cannot compare the RO membranes with the activated carbon filters in any way. They perform together to ensure that the output water does not contain any harmful chemical. You will always find the RO water purifiers having these activated carbon filters to support the RO membrane in the purification process.
Under the present circumstances, you need RO water purifiers to purify water and safeguard your health. No one can undermine the importance of these appliances in our homes. As on date, the RO water purification is the best water purification system available. The debunking of the myths regarding RO water purifiers can help you understand its significance.