RO Water pH Problems Solved
Written by: Alexandra Uta // Last Updated: Jul 26, 2023
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While reverse osmosis water is undoubtedly a healthy choice free of impurities, the removal of those impurities also means the removal of alkaline minerals.
This means your RO water is a weak acid, which concerns some.
Let’s talk more about the potential problems of RO water pH and how to increase it.
Contents
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Key Takeaways
- Reverse osmosis water usually has a pH under 7, which means it is a weak acid.
- Remineralization is an option to add alkaline minerals into the RO water and create a more neutral or even basic pH.
RO Water pH Problems
The pH level of a body of water indicates its state of acidity or alkalinity, which is gauged on the potential hydrogen (pH) scale. This scale ranges from 0 to 14 and determines the quantity of hydrogen ions in the water as well as their activity rate. Water that has undergone reverse osmosis typically has a pH level between 5 and 7, making it slightly acidic or potentially neutral at best.
Drinking slightly acidic water is safe for human consumption. The process of reverse osmosis does not drastically alter the water’s acidity or decrease its pH to levels that may be harmful or disagreeable.
Why is it important? Because the pH of RO water gives an insight into the solubility of the water. That is to say, water with a lower pH level has higher solubility, allowing more elements to dissolve into it.
Why Is Reverse Osmosis Water Acidic?
While the term ‘acidic’ might seem alarming, it’s important to understand it in context. Many everyday drinks have pH values that make them acidic. For instance, orange juice has a pH of about 3, black coffee is at 5, fruit juices vary between 2 and 4.5, soft drinks are around 2.5, and sports drinks usually have a pH of 3.
Comparatively, reverse osmosis water isn’t significantly acidic. During reverse osmosis, alkaline minerals are stripped from the water, bringing its pH to a neutral 7 or slightly below. However, pure water lacks buffering capacity, causing it to dissolve anything it encounters, leading to fluctuating pH levels. When RO water comes into contact with air, it absorbs carbon dioxide, forming carbonic acid and making the water acidic (around 5.5) quickly after purification.
So Is Reverse Osmosis Water Bad for Your Health?
There is no scientific evidence to validate that reverse osmosis water poses any harm to your health based on its slightly lower pH. However, if you are struggling with reflux or gastritis and your treatment includes avoiding acidic drinks, it is advisable to consider remineralized RO water as an alternative.
Further Reading:
How to Make RO Water More Alkaline?
To guarantee your drinking water from RO is not acidic, you must go through the process of remineralization. There are multiple methods available to achieve this.
- Simply incorporate a remineralization step to restore minerals to your RO water. You can easily add these filters to countertop, under sink, or whole house reverse osmosis systems. As final-stage filters, they reintroduce essential minerals like calcium and magnesium to your RO water before use.
- Revitalize your water with mineral drops, available at multiple online retailers. Just add a few drops to your glass before drinking to remineralize.
- An economical option for replenishing nutrients in your water is mineral-rich salt. However, not all salts are suitable. Just a quarter teaspoon of this salt is enough to restore minerals in a whole gallon of RO water.
- Electrolyte blends or green blends are alternative choices. These blends consist of well-balanced minerals and electrolytes but can come at a higher cost.
If you have any questions about RO water pH problems please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Alexandra Uta
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