From time to time I hear someone say: "I got ________________ filter because I know Reverse Osmosis is great and affordable but wastes water".
Not sure I fully understand where they're coming from...perhaps it's what they read online from companies selling the "other water filters" without considering the high costs of their replacement filters, the pollution these other systems create when they have to recycle all of these extra filters or the other logistics it takes to maintain the other water filter systems.
I completely agree and understand wanting to conserve natural resources, but that same person was driving 5 miles to town and back to refill water jugs which probably were made by reverse osmosis anyways! So they were ok with polluting the air, wasting fossil fuel but were not going to waste a drop of precious water. Really?
Let's put things in perspective.
A green, eco-friendly reverse osmosis system needs some water to remove impurities to ensure your drinking water doesn't get recontaminated, those have a 1:1 ratio. There are reverse osmosis systems that drain more water depending on the application or the type of the filters used, what they need to remove, but there's a way to choose an efficient system if you want to conserve water and protect the planet.
For comparison, If you use a washing machine or a dishwasher but are worried about wasting water, why do you use them? Of course it's to get you clothes clean, your dishes sterilized right? How efficient is your washing machine? A reverse osmosis system is at least 25% more efficient. Also a washing machine and dishwasher uses electricity and hot water (which takes energy to heat) and waste EVERY GALLON OF WATER they use. Now...that's a waste!
A reverse osmosis system does not use electricity and doesn't waste energy with heated water.
If health is your ultimate priority, when you have a washing machine to get your clothes clean and use a dishwasher to get your dishes clean, and you don't consider THAT a wasted water but don't want to use a reverse osmosis system that is 25-50% more efficient to make your drinking water clean then something isn't right especially if you have children in the house or chronic health problems like allergies, GI issues, headaches or worse...cancer.
Can people live without washing their clothes in a washing machine? Sure, they may stink or they will need to waste more water by hand washing them, but it won't kill them. Can they live without cleaning their dishes in a dishwasher? Sure, they can waste even more water and wash them in a sink, but they won't die.
Drinking clean water is not an option. We need a healthy water to regulate our body's temperature, eliminate waste and to stay hydrated and healthy. We can't live without water, but not just any water quality, that's why cities in developed countries have municipal water filtration plants, to filter and disinfect water. Unfortunately aging pipes in US, addition of fluoride, chlorine, ammonia, and the occasional contamination of water with chemicals exceeding EPA's "safe" levels such as lead, do get into all drinking water sources. Luckily for us, a reverse osmosis system can easily remove anything harmful right before the water gets used, straight from our kitchen sink. How convenient!
Drinking clean, healthy water sustains our life, it can cure ailments and prevent disease, and yet for many, it's below washing clothes and dishes on their priority list or many go overboard overpowered with fear and buy expensive water bottles which add to pollution and many times do not contain better quality water, or buy systems that are extremely expensive to maintain. There is nothing on the market right now that can provide 50 gallons of water at only 9 cents per gallon except for reverse osmosis.
Here's an example of a system that is green, 1:1 that saves water and filters all of the contaminants that may cause GI problems, chronic diseases like cancer, lead poisoning, allergies, not to mention make water smell bad and taste nasty.
There are many healthy, environmentally friendly, cost effective options when it comes to purifying home's drinking water that are convenient to use, affordable and easy to maintain. need help deciding or solving a particular water issue? If you have any questions or concerns about your water, email directly and we'd be happy to assist.