Filtering systems reduce some contaminants, but only partially trap viruses and bacteria. Reverse osmosis systems lose their effectiveness as membranes become dirty or torn. Also, because they are driven by water pressure, reverse osmosis systems use three to 10 gallons of water just to produce 1 gallon of drinking water.

Carbon Filtration traps, absorbs or modifies contaminants, including some biological and most organic contaminates. Filters don’t catch all viruses or radioactive pollutants.

One of the limitations of filtration systems is that the organisms we are concerned about are getting smaller and smaller. Microsporidium is a classic example of that. Microsporidium is a tiny parasite that measures one to three microns in diameter. Because of its size, it may be hard to capture and has greater penetration through water filters.

Reverse osmosis does reduce inorganic contaminants and some radioactive materials, but viruses can remain in the water after reverse osmosis processing. Reverse osmosis uses three to ten gallons of water to produce one gallon of drinking water.

In areas of the country where water is a scarce resource, reverse osmosis creates unnecessary waste by using more water in the treatment process than it eventually will produce. Reverse osmosis membranes require constant monitoring and frequent replacement.