You might be juggling the idea of getting your home some fresh, clean water with a whole-home water treatment system. Maybe you’re looking at technologies such as Reverse Osmosis or maybe you’ve also considered – or are already used to – buying bottles of water from your local grocer. Isn’t an economy pack of bottled water cheaper than an RO system installation? Well, you might be surprised when we look at the pros and cons of bottled water vs filtered, and you just might find the long-term benefits of getting that RO system might be well worth it.
Tap water vs filtered water: A comparison
Convenience and Portability
Imagine having fresh, great-tasting water pre-bottled from the snow of the Alps and shipped all the way to Phoenix at your convenience.
Now, imagine having fresh, great-tasting water running straight to the tap in your kitchen sink? Or bathroom even?
It really can’t get more convenient than that. Plus if you’d like to take your water out on the town with you, there are plenty of affordable options for reusable bottles at your nearest grocery store.
Cost-Effectiveness
Buying bottled water actually gets costly and timely. Did you know that Business Insider reported Americans spend an average of $1.22 per gallon of bottled water – 300 times the cost of tap water per gallon?
And we all know how grocery shopping goes… You’re not just getting one thing. And still, there’s just nothing that beats water ready at your faucet. (Plus you don’t have to carry in a heavy case of water from the car – a big win!)
Quality
You might be putting the quality of bottled water on a pedestal it really doesn’t deserve.
In fact, your bottled water might be just as “tappy” as what you’ve got running at home!
The NY Times reported that “bottled water manufacturers are not required to disclose as much information as municipal water utilities.” This means you’re risking drinking less regulated water from a company as opposed to the highly regulated water of your local government.
Plus, there’s obviously more to the water in your home than just what you drink. Why not have quality water while you shower? It’ll make it easier for your soaps and shampoos to do their job.
Environmental Impact
Plastic, plastic, plastic. All that recycling done for hundreds of bottles of water – and that’s just you! What about the other thousands of people around you, and the millions more beyond?
And we all know those bottles don’t always make it in the bin…
With a Reverse Osmosis water filtration system, you’ve potentially got up to 5 filters to replace once or twice a year. That’s much less of a burden on the planet than plastic bottles.
Also, bottled water takes up space – especially if you’re buying bottles for more than just yourself. If you’ve got fresh water out your tap, you’re not losing any more space than you’d need to install the RO unit.
Maintenance
Okay, maybe you’re onto something about bottled water – there’s little-to-no maintenance required other than popping the cap off.
But let’s think about the bigger picture here – your bottled water simply helps you because it goes straight from the bottle to you.
With a whole-home RO system, the water goes through your filter, then through all your water pipes, to all your fixtures, in and out of your dishwasher, washing machine, etc., and also… to your mouth.
If your plumbing could speak, it would praise you for such kindness you’ve shown in providing fresh, purified water that moves so easily and kindly through your pipes, reducing the corrosive and damaging minerals that bond and build up, creating blockages, inhibiting expensive hardware like your water heater, and simply making things filthy.
The minimal maintenance that a reverse osmosis system requires is a small price to pay for keeping your house in tip-top shape and protecting your biggest investment.
Got hard water? We can help.
At Deer Valley Plumbing, we have been handling hard water across Phoenix for decades. Let us help you make your tap water worth drinking. We’ve got plenty of options for your home, including our highly effective Reverse Osmosis systems.
RO systems filter your water by passing it through a semipermeable membrane dedicated to removing contaminants from your water, including chlorine, fluoride, lead, and are especially effective against proteins produced by bacteria. The taste, look, and smell of your water only improve when these types of pollutants are removed from your water. Plus, they’re typically easy to maintain as they are conveniently accessible and normally require a simple filter change.
Just give us a call anytime and we’ll strategize what’s best for you, your home, and your budget.