Reverse Osmosis systems have been around for quite a while. They are available in a variety of configurations and some feature pre-filtering to prolong the life of the membrane in the RO filter and some have a UV lamp to sterilise the water after it has been filtered.

The main advantage of RO filters is that they can desalinate water. This may not be of much use to most of us but for those who rely on bore water or who have very hard water, a reverse osmoosis system can remove the minerals causing the hardness leaving water that is easier to drink and easier for your body to absorb.

Since Reverse Osmosis water filters remove just about all minerals from the water some people use them to remove the fluoride from their drinking water. They will also remove chlorine from your drinking water.

It is often cost effective to install a reverse osmosis system to provide filtered water on a commercial scale rather than use other filtration or purification systems.

For domestic use, the smaller RO units can be very competitively priced.

The disadvantages of RO systems are that:

1. they waste water – for every litre of filtered water you get out, you waste from 1 to 10 litres;
2. they do not remove THMs unless combined with pre- or post-filtration;
3. they are often s-l-o-w to produce pure water – how fast they operate depends on your mains water pressure;
4. you need to store the water they produce until you are ready to use it;
5. they usually remove all trace elements from your water even the beneficial minerals – some units have mineral filters that the water passes through to restore the beneficial minerals;
6. they are not suitable for use on microbiologically unsafe water unless you purify it either before or after filtration;
7. the membrane typically has to be replaced every 6 months or so depending on the particular RO system and the quality of your source water; and
8. the will not remove foul tastes and odors.

If your source water is relatively clean and you are prepared to wait for your water to be filtered, a reverse osmosis system may be all you need. They will not remove pathogens from your water so you need to keep that in mind in situations where there may be some disruption to your water supply due to natural disasters, eg floods.

If you like the idea of having pure water instantly you are better off looking for a Point Of Use (POU) water filter or water purifier. Most of these have activated carbon as a component of the filter which means they can get rid of foul tastes and odors from the water. Having pure water on tap means you are much more likely to use it rather than using tap water. This has to be better for your health.

I Use Bottled Water So I’m Okay – Aren’t I?

Well that depends.

In most cases, the water inside the bottle has been nowhere near the pristine mountain spring shown on the label – but the label looks good and encourages you to buy the water. Usually, it is filtered tap water. On the rare occasions where it is sourced from a spring, the water is filtered and sometimes disinfected before being bottled.

So, at best you are getting water that may contain some beneficial elements; at worst, you are getting plain old tap water.

The first problem is the cost of buying bottled water and paying anywhere from $0.50c to $5.00 a litre. That is expensive but it is cheap compared with what you can pay. There are some restaurants that have a Water List (similar to a wine list) that lists the different bottled waters they have available. And the prices are similar to bottled wine prices.

The other problem is the inconvenience of buying bottled water. If you buy it with your weekly shopping you have a lot of weight to cart around. And you have to plan for how much water you think you will drink over the coming week.  You can have it delivered, of course, but again you have to find room to store the full bottles and the empties if they are being collected.

The third problem is  the huge amount of landfill that results from the disposal of plastic bottles and the waste of resources that are used to produce and transport those bottles. Combine this with the plastics that are wrapped around just about every itme you buy these days, and the amount of plastic ending up in landfill is phenomonal.

But perhaps the most important problem is the issue of BPA (Bisphenol-A).

Plastic Bottles and BPA

In recent years there have been lots of comments regarding the safety vs dangers of BPA. This is an industrial chemical used as the starting material for the production of polycarbonate plastics and synthetic resins. It is known as an endocrine disruptor (or environmental estrogen) since it can mimic the effects of sex hormones on the body.

The consensus of the research at the moment is that heat causes the BPA to leach from the plastic into the food or water in the container. While there is still some disagreement over the amount of BPA which is harmful, the fact remains that it is a substance it would be better to avoid. Endocrine disruptors do not require high concentrations to cause serious ill-effects in the human body.

Since bottled water is stored in plastic bottles and you do not know what temperature the bottles have been subjected to during transport or storage, you cannot know how much BPA may be present in the water. So it is best to avoid drinking it unless you are travelling and do not have access to filtered or purified tap water – or a portable water purifier.

By the way, most baby bottles are made from plastic these days and babies are given warm fluids in them. Given the potential for leaching of BPA and given that the baby’s body mass is so small, the amount of BPA per kilogram is much higher for a baby than for an adult. So the effects of BPA are much more potent in the baby. Further, as the baby is still growing, being exposed to chemicals such as BPA can seriously interfere with the baby’s development.You are better off using glass baby bottles if you can get them.

Of course, you can eliminate these concerns by ensuring that your water is purified and not stored in plastic bottles.

Like me, you try to do what is best for your family and in today’s world that can sometimes be difficult – especially when it comes to what you can give them to eat and drink. We are exposed to more chemicals (intentional and unintentional!) in our food and water than our parents and grandparents ever were.

Some of these chemicals, for example, chlorine, are actually added to the water to make it “safer”. Others end up there as a result of industry, agriculture, accidents, natural disasters, human (or computer) error and waste water treatment.

You may be shocked to discover that there are things in your water that should definitely not be there and that some things you thought were safe, aren’t.

But Chlorinated Water Is Safe – Isn’t It?

Consider chlorine which is one of the “safe” chemicals. Studies show a link with cancer due, primarily, to the presence of Trihalomethanes (THMs). THMs are produced when chlorine reacts with organic matter such as leaf litter. For example, one study[1] looked at bladder cancer and found that people living in industrialised countries had double the risk of bladder cancer due to THMs in chlorinated water.

The links between chlorine and breast cancer have been well established by multiple studies. The results of a 1992 study in Hartford, Connecticut found that women with breast cancer had 50% to 60% higher levels of chlorinated by-products in their breast tissue than women without the disease.

Other studies have linked chlorinated water to reproductive and developmental effects in children, and heart disease.

And it is not just children. Even the unborn can suffer because of the chlorine ingested by the mother. One study found that jaundice was nearly twice as likely to occur in newborns whose mothers drank chlorinated water during pregnancy. The newborn babies were also more likely to have a smaller body length and head size. You don’t have to take my word for it. Just do a quick search and you will find references to these studies and a whole lot more. Yet this chemical is considered safe.

Sure, chlorinated water may be better than typhoid (which is why it was originally added to municipal water supplies) but, now that we know the damage it can do, we need to take steps to protect ourselves and our families. The thing is, though, chlorine is not the only chemical in your water…

Drugs In My Drinking Water? No Way!

Roughly 100 pharmaceuticals have been identified in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters throughout Europe and the United States. The drugs include cholesterol regulators, analgesics, painkillers, antibiotics, sex hormones, antibiotics, epilspsy drugs and anti-seizure medications as well as potential endocrine disruptors, and caffeine.

This is not surprising since anywhere from half to almost all of a drug taken by patients can pass through their bodies without being absorbed or metabolised. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals (or other drugs) from sewerage and so this ends up in water you are possibly drinking.

While the concentrations are not high (parts per billion to parts per trillion), no one knows what the effect of long-term exposure is – especially on the developing body of a young child. What is known, however, is that feminisation of male fish occurs with exposure to sewage effluent containing ethinyl estradiol, the active ingredient in birth control pills.

Do you really want to take the chance that these drugs won’t affect you or your family? I don’t.

With recycled water being used or introduced in many areas, the issue of pharmaceuticals in drinking water is going to become more topical. Yes, we have been told that the treatment plants are producing water that is purer than the water we are already drinking (if so, why not just upgrade our existing water plants?).

With any system (not just water treatment) there is always the possibility of human or computer error. Have you ever had your computer crash? Then you know it is true. If the computer controlling a recycled water plant crashes or malfunctions you can’t get the water back out of the pipes. Having come from an IT background and having worked with many programmers, I can confidently state that it is not a matter of if the computer malfunctions, but when. If the operator makes a mistake the result is the same – inadequately purified water can end up in the pipes.

Microbes Living in Your Drinking Water

A glass of water looks clear and pure to the naked eye. Under a microscope the picture is very different.

Bacteria (such as E. Coli) and cysts (such as cryptosporidia and giardia) are invariably found in water catchments and in tank or well water. These microorganisms cause gastroenteritis, salmonella infection, dysentery, shigellosis, hepatitis, and giardiasis (a gastrointestinal infection causing diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, and flatulance). At best you will suffer minor symptoms; at worst, the symptoms can be serious and even fatal in the very young, the very old or those with weakened immunity.

It makes little difference whether you are on town water, tank water or well water. Bacteria occur everywhere.

As I mentioned above, chlorine is added to municipal drinking water supplies to eliminate these pathogens. Initially chlorine was effective. Today, however, micro-organisms are developing a resistance to it. And, as we have already discussed, chlorine introduces its own set of problems.

Lest you think I am scaremongering – no, I’m not. But it would be irresponsible of me not to make you aware of these issues – especially when there is something you can do to protect yourself against drinking water contamination.

The simplest way to protect against these contaminants is to install a good quality water purifer or, at the very least, a good quality water filter. There are many on the market and we recommend some on this site. With a water purifier in place you can drink your water with confidence and complete safety. After all, your health is too important to leave to chance.