Use RO wisely, just assuming the criteria of TDS is not right

Its use for water purification has grown exponentially without exploring the need for RO water purifiers to clean drinking water. Fearing the high amount of dissolved minerals (TDS) in the water, companies and dealers are haphazardly selling RO purifiers. Experts associated with research and development focused on water purification techniques said that RO has been developed for areas where excessive amount of dissolved minerals (TDS) are found in the water. Therefore, buying RO only by considering TDS as the quality of water is not right.

Only one of the TDS 68 parameters,
VA Raju, an expert with the India Water Quality Association, said that water quality is determined by several biological and abiotic parameters. TDS is just one of 68 parameters that determine water quality. Organic elements that affect the quality of water may contain many types of bacteria and viruses. At the same time, inorganic elements include minerals such as chloride, fluoride, arsenic, zinc, glass, calcium, manganese, sulfate, nitrate as well as properties such as water salinity, pH value, odor, taste and color.

Where can be planted RO
Dr. Pawan Labhsetwar, scientist of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur said that reverse osmosis (RO) is not required in areas where water is not very salty. In places where water contains less than 500 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids (TDS), tap water supplied to households can be directly drunk. Many important mineral elements necessary for health are also separated from water if RO is used unnecessarily. Therefore, before choosing the right technique to clean water, it is important to determine how the quality of water in your area is.

The NGT had also expressed concern
that while issuing guidelines regarding the use of ROs some time ago, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the government to formulate a policy on it. The NGT has stated that the Ministry of Environment and Forests may ban the use of RO at places where there is less than 500 mg of TDS in drinking water.

70 percent becomes water.
About 70 percent water gets washed away due to waste RO usage and only 30 percent gets to drink. The NGT has also said that only RO systems that provide more than 60 percent water should be approved. Apart from this, the proposed policy should have a provision to get 75 percent water from RO and use reject water for washing of utensils, flushing, gardening, washing of vehicles and floors etc.