Purified Water vs Reverse Osmosis Water (+ Differences)
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Jun 23, 2023
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If you’re concerned about getting the best drinking water quality, there are two water types you must have come across: Purified water and reverse osmosis water.
Perhaps you’re wondering, what’s the difference between the two? Is one better than the other?
We’ll answer all your questions in this article!
Contents
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Key Takeaways
- Purified water is water that has been processed using one or more of the various water purification methods.
- Types of purified water are distilled water, softened water, filtered water, and deionized water.
- Reverse osmosis water is another, specific type of purified water. It is produced by filtering water through an RO membrane.
Purified Water vs Reverse Osmosis Water– Which Is Better?
So, purified water vs RO water – which is better?
First of all, purified water is not a specific type of water. Instead, it refers to water that has been processed through any of the various water purification methods available, like water distillation and filtration.
Reverse osmosis water, on the other hand, is a specific type of purified water that is processed through reverse osmosis.
In summary, RO water is one type of purified water, so it’s impossible to say which one is better.
What Is Reverse Osmosis Water?
Reverse osmosis (RO) water is water produced using a reverse osmosis membrane. Said membrane is semipermeable meaning it holds contaminants on one side and releases clean water on the other.
You can get reverse osmosis water by simply buying bottled RO water in a store or installing an RO water filter system in your home.
Reverse osmosis water purification is highly effective at removing almost all contaminants. Only distillation is able to achieve higher water purity levels.
What Is Purified Water?
As mentioned before, purified water is water produced using any of the many water purification processes we know. These included distillation, deionization, softening, and filtration.
Depending on the exact process. water purification can remove both organic and inorganic chemicals, floating particles, dissolved solids, and microorganisms.
Is RO Water the Same as Purified Water?
No. RO water is not the same as purified water. Instead, RO water is one type of purified water. You can use different processes to achieve purified water; reverse osmosis is just one.
Below are some other types of purified water.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is water purified by distillation. Distillation involves heating water with a distiller until it evaporates. Since most contaminants cannot evaporate along with water, only pure water vaporizes. A condenser collects the purified vapor, converts it to liquid, and releases it into a reservoir.
Distilled water is 99.99% free from impurities.
Filtered Water
Filtered water passes through a filtration media to remove contaminants.
Many water filtration methods exist, but you’ll find carbon filtration in most homes. It works by trapping water impurities on the surface of activated carbon pores. Carbon filters can reduce lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chlorine, and bad taste and odor among other stuff.
Deionized Water
Deionized water lacks most (or all) of its ions. Generally, common ions in water are salts and minerals (for example, calcium, iron, magnesium, and sodium). Deionization uses an ion exchange resin to replace these ions with hydrogen or hydroxyl ions to provide purified water.
Softened Water
You can soften hard water using a water softener. These systems work on a process called ion exchange. Essentially, any hardness minerals (usually calcium and magnesium but sometimes also iron and manganese) are replaced with sodium ions as the water flows through the softener.
Bottled Water
In theory, any water (spring, mineral, purified, etc.) can be bottled, so purified water is just one type of bottled water. Purified bottled water is processed using different purification processes and packaged in water bottles.
The Pros and Cons of Purified Water
The pros and cons of purified water differ depending on the exact type of purified water you choose (as we’ve seen, there are various types). But here are some general advantages you’ll enjoy with any purified water.
Pro: Healthier Drinking Water
Purified water is usually mostly free from common contaminants, making it safe for drinking.
Pro: Less Risk of Water-Borne Diseases
Most treatment options for achieving purified water remove microorganisms and other impurities that cause water-borne illnesses.
Pro: Better Water Quality
Purified water production may involve a combination of water treatment methods, for example softening and filtration, which results in higher water quality.
Con: Lack of Essential Minerals
Distilled water, a type of purified water, usually lacks beneficial minerals. The purification process eliminates almost everything besides water molecules. The same goes for reverse osmosis water.
The Pros and Cons of RO Water
Reverse osmosis water has these advantages and disadvantages:
Pro: Healthy Drinking Water
RO water is healthy and safe for consumption because there are almost no impurities.
Pro: Better Water Taste
Reverse osmosis improves your water taste by removing odor-causing contaminants and those that ruin water taste.
Pro: You Drink More Water
Reverse osmosis water tastes pure, and that can motivate you to drink more than you usually would. Content with the refreshment from RO water, you may start to buy less carbonated drinks.
Con: Water Wastage
The process of producing RO can water result in a lot of waste water.
Con: Loss of Useful Minerals
RO membranes filter all impurities, including beneficial minerals. This isn’t always a problem, but it’s better to remineralize your RO water especially if you have a sensitive diet.
Con: Reduced Water pH
RO water has a low pH and is mildly acidic. You may have to consult your doctor if you’re sensitive to acidic water or something related.
Further Reading:
Differences Between RO and Purified Water
In summary, the difference between RO and purified water is quite simple:
RO water is produced with a specific purification process called reverse osmosis. That’s where you use an RO membrane to remove almost all impurities from water.
On the other hand, you can produce purified water with different methods, including distillation, filtration, softening, deionization, or reverse osmosis. Purified water is a generic term for water produced using any of these methods. As such, RO water is one type of purified water.
If you have any questions about the difference between RO water and purified water please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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