Although you need to stay hydrated, drinking unfiltered water from your tap isn’t healthy or attractive at all. This water contains heavy metals that can harm your health if taken for a long time.
The best alternatives? Bottled water and reverse osmosis water.
Bottled and RO water are the most preferred options by families and businesses to ensure clean, pure, safe and healthy water.
In this post, we discuss the benefits and cons of RO water and bottled water. What are the differences in costs, water quality, and consequences? Is one better than the other?
Reverse Osmosis Water
Reverse osmosis is a process is a water purification system that filters contaminated water by passing it through a semipermeable membrane.
The final product (reverse osmosis water) is cleaner and safer than tap water.
Much like other purified water, RO water benefits you by eliminating components like bacteria, lead and viruses that might be present at the source. It tastes better and is also free of odor.
Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Water
Listed herein are some of the benefits of using RO water.
- It’s a healthier option.
Reverse osmosis water filtration removes harmful chemicals and particles that might be present in your tap water. Tap water is usually from rivers and lakes that often get pesticides and herbicides washed into them in case of heavy rains.
RO filtration removes these contaminants to ensure that you enjoy safe and healthy water at all times.
- Tastes good
Reverse osmosis water tastes much better than unfiltered tap water. Introduce reverse osmosis water to your loved ones, and you might be surprised at how much water they start taking per day.
- Odorless
If you’re keen enough, you might have noticed that unfiltered tap water has a funny smell. This smell is caused by chlorine that is usually added to the city’s water by the government to kill bacteria.
Reverse osmosis removes this chlorine and other contaminants to give you tasty and odorless water.
- On-demand filtered water
Reverse osmosis enables you to enjoy filtered water on demand. You don’t have to stock it up or buy in bulk.
RO water is available with a simple push of a button. You can fill up pitchers to use in gatherings or use reusable bottles to carry with you on the go.
- Economically friendly
Owning an RO water filtration system is more budget-friendly than buying water bottles. Although paying for it, upfront might appear high, it’s more cost-efficient in the long run.
Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis Water
The disadvantages of reverse osmosis water have something to do with RO water filtration systems. They include;
- High initial cost
To get a reliable, functional and high-quality reverse osmosis system, you’ll have to part with hundreds of dollars. However, it’s a one-time cost only.
- Frequent filter replacement
After purchasing the system, you’ll need to replace the filters from time to time to ensure that you get pure RO water. This means that you’ll have to spend more money after several months to replace the filters.
Bottled Water
Bottled water is always high in demand due to its ease of use and portability. It is common to use bottled water to stay hydrated when working out, traveling or working in the office.
Bottled water is highly affordable. For about 50% of the cost of juice, soda or tea, you can purchase a bottle of water that’ll leave you feeling refreshed.
Advantages of Bottled Water
Highlighted below are some of the benefits of bottled water.
- Safer than tap water
Bottled water is filtered hence safer to drink than tap water. It has fewer contaminants, and most people feel comfortable taking it.
- Better taste
Since bottled water is filtered before packaging, it’s free of chemicals such as chlorine that give water an unpleasant taste and odor. It tastes better than unfiltered tap water.
- Convenience
Bottled water is convenient to use; you can bring it along wherever you go. You just grab a bottle and take it with you around your home or far destinations.
And should you forget one when leaving your home, you can easily buy one on your way.
- Stores for a long time
If you have an unopened water bottle, you can store it indefinitely. All you have to do is keep it in the right environment – in a refrigerator.
Disadvantages of Bottled Water
The disadvantages of bottled water include:
- Expensive
Most people assume that bottled water is cheap, which isn’t the case. Although you might be spending very little when purchasing it, should you do your calculations, you’ll find out that you actually spend a lot of money on it every month.
Filtered tap water will always cost less than bottled water. Switching from bottled water to an RO water filtration system will save you a lot of money in the long run.
- Environmental impact
Although plastic is recyclable, about 80% of plastic water bottles are never recycled. They contribute to the millions of bottles that go into landfills.
And do you know that it takes about 700 years for plastic bottles to start decomposing? Water bottles are actually one of the biggest contributors to single-use plastic waste.
- Creates a significant danger to animals
The caps on water bottle containers usually get loose from the product on disposal and make their way into the environment. Animals can ingest these and get injured. Sea turtles, mammals and birds tend to consume them most.
Which is Better, RO water or Bottled Water?
Reverse osmosis water takes the crown. This water is purer, safer and healthy for consumption. And although you have to pay a lot of money upfront for an RO system, it’s cheaper in the long run. It also brings no harm to the environment as compared to bottled water.
For a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option, bottled water can never beat RO water. Bottled water only comes in handy in case of emergencies on the go.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is reverse osmosis water better than spring water?
Q. Does RO water taste the same as bottled water?
Q. Can I water my plants with RO water?
Q. Is bottled water healthier?
Q. What’s the difference between tap water and bottled water?
Conclusion
RO water and bottled water help you stay hydrated throughout the day. And although the choice is yours, RO water seems to be the best option.
Should you choose to go the RO water way, you’ll save money, protect the environment and always enjoy the healthier water for you. The only benefit you can get on bottled water over RO water is the convenience of portability.