Our Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System (Review)
For years, we used a freestanding water dispenser with large refillable water jugs. If you’ve ever lived with one, you know the routine. Refilling the bottles, loading them into the car, hauling them back home, and trying not to spill water all over the floor in the process. It worked, but it was never something I loved having in our home. At the same time, our tap water here just wasn’t great. The taste alone was enough to keep us reaching for filtered water, and once concerns about radium in our local water basin started circulating, it pushed us to finally look into a more permanent solution. That’s when we decided to install a reverse osmosis drinking water system. Many of you have messaged asking about the exact model we landed on, so I figured a blog post was in order. I’m sharing details on our everyday water system. Emmett and I are both really pleased with our reverse osmosis tap, which is the water we’re solely drinking these days. Click through for all the details and to read more about our system…
Since installing our RO system, we have also installed a foot pedal for the kitchen faucet that’s worth the upgrade. I love it… especially when I’m baking sourdough. Hands covered in raw chicken, sticky sourdough fingers, soap on your palms… with a foot pedal kitchen faucet, you never need to touch the handle or levers. That alone is the biggest game changer. Anyway, onto the water filtration!
Why We Chose Reverse Osmosis
When we started researching home water filtration systems, reverse osmosis kept coming up as one of the most thorough options for drinking water. What appealed to us was not just the filtration itself, but the idea of having consistently clean, great-tasting water available at any time, without relying on bottled water or bulky dispensers. From a design standpoint, this mattered too. I didn’t want another appliance competing visually in our kitchen or dining area. I wanted something integrated, functional, and completely out of the way. Reverse osmosis gave us the best aesthetic, with a simple tap at the sink.
Emmett & I both grew up on farms in the country drinking well water- which I honestly loved. After moving into our first home that had city water, we would just drink water from the tap. Since moving to the mountains, I just assumed we’d have fresh decent tap water. Despite the funky taste of our water here at home, the idea of fresh mountain spring water seemed harmless. We tried it for a bit, but just couldn’t get over the odd flavor. Next, came a letter from our city, stating that the radium levels in our water tested too high.
The radium in the water was detected at a level of 9.7 picocuries per liter (pCi/L)– which is double the maximum contamination level set by the EPA. Increased levels of radium can contribute to all sorts of health issues, from a weakened immune system, anemia, cracked teeth, and if exposure persists- even cancer. This news really pushed us to finally install an RO system and ditch our temporary freestanding unit.
I was surprised to learn that people have strong opinions on RO. It was totally a mixed bag… 50% of people absolutely love their RO system, and the other 50% discouraged us from installing one altogether. After LOTS of research, Emmett and I decided to move forward with buying a system and spent many hours finding the best one for our house. We determined the mixed reviews probably had more to do with investing in a quality system that does a multitude of things: filtering, adding good minerals back into the water, etc. Most people who discouraged the use of RO complained about losing the good minerals that our bodies need. We wanted a system that filtered the bad toxins out, while pushing the good stuff back into the water.
We landed on this particular RO system… which actually cost slightly less than our freestanding unit. Why this option? First, it removes 99.99% of harmful contaminants- including things like radium, chlorine, lead, arsenic, asbestos, sodium, fluoride, etc. It has a seven stage filtration system (including a UV stage), it’s power and water saving, it maintains good water pressure, and most importantly- it adds back healthy ionized minerals that were removed from the water during the RO process. I’ll copy some specs from the manufacturer for you below, in case you’d like to read about the intricate details of the system. Feel free to skip if this is boring to you!
- The heart of the system is the Reverse Osmosis (RO) filter that removes contaminants down to 0.0001 microns – so small that only water molecules can squeeze through but virtually nothing else.
- 3 Pre-filters: PP sediment filter. Carbon KDF (GAC) filter. Carbon block (CTO) filter. They remove large contaminants and protect the RO membrane from chemicals like chlorine.
- Fine GAC filter provides final polishing before the filtered water is delivered to the faucet.
- An Alkaline Remineralization filter restores healthy minerals and a natural alkaline balance, while also producing a more natural taste.
- The RCC1UP-AK electric booster pump allows the system to achieve up to 50% faster tank fill rates with up to 50% less water waste.
- The UV stage comes with a smart Flow Sensor Switch turns the UV unit on and off with 3 minutes delay automatically with water flow, saving power and lengthening the life of the UV lamp.
- The booster pump addresses the problem of low water pressure at the source, bringing the pressure going into the membrane up to the ideal level.
- In addition to the standard calcium carbonite filter used by most pH RO systems, the RCC1UP-AK uses red mineral stones to add back healthy ionized minerals that were removed from the water during the RO process.
- All filters, tanks, tubing and other water-contacting parts are manufactured to comply strictly with NSF/ANSI standard (58 for reverse osmosis).
How Our System Is Set Up
Because we didn’t have the space under our kitchen sink for the full system, Emmett actually installed the system in our basement closet. A dedicated line runs up to a separate drinking water faucet at the sink. He had it up and running in a few hours and said installation was really quite easy. Visually, it’s exactly what I hoped for. The faucet is subtle and unobtrusive, and everything else lives behind the scenes. If you didn’t know it was there, you wouldn’t notice it at all, which is honestly my favorite kind of upgrade.
What It’s Like Living With a Reverse Osmosis System
This is where the difference really shows up. I’m picky about water and it’s pretty much the only thing I drink, so I was worried how it would taste. I’m happy to report, it’s really good and tasteless- which is my preference. Emmett likes to add minerals to his bottle for a more flavorful taste, but I think it’s perfect as is. There’s no planning ahead, no checking water levels, no last-minute runs to refill jugs. I keep glass bottles filled in the fridge so cold water is always ready, and refilling them takes seconds. On a practical level, not having to store or move large water jugs has been a relief. It’s one less thing to manage in daily life.
I love the convenience, the crisp and clean taste is ideal, it’s environmentally friendly as opposed to plastic bottled water, and of course- from an aesthetic perspective, we were able to get rid of our large freestanding unit and replace it with a small filtered tap. It’s much more visually appealing and we got some square footage back in our dining room.
Maintenance and Filter Changes
Filter changes are straightforward and predictable. Different filters are replaced at different intervals, but once you understand the schedule, it’s easy to stay on top of. We mark it on the calendar and order replacements ahead of time so it never becomes a project. Compared to the effort of constantly refilling jugs or buying bottled water, maintenance feels minimal.
Is a Reverse Osmosis System Worth It?
For us, yes- without hesitation. This is not a flashy upgrade, but it’s one we benefit from every single day. It supports how we live, keeps our kitchen feeling intentional, and removes a small but persistent friction point from daily routines. If you care about good design and thoughtful function, this is one of those behind-the-scenes decisions that makes a home feel better to live in, even if guests never notice it.
Questions?
Yes! We love those. We still keep 10-12 of the glass bottles filled with water and store them in the fridge for easy or on-the-go access. We’re also more likely to use a standard water glass to drink from, now that we have a tap in the kitchen. It’s closer to our drinkware and easier to fill regular cups.
I love it because it essentially has no taste. I like a good pure, fresh water… and I usually prefer water that is room temp, but I feel like sometimes that temperature brings out more flavor than ice cold water. I like that it is tasteless.
I know I’ve shared this before, but I’m not a fan of our kitchen faucet– really just the side spray. I considered switching the entire faucet when we installed our RO system, knowing we’d have to add another hole to our countertop for our filtered water. My plan was to find a bridge faucet with a pull-down spray, and use the hole from our previous side spray to install the RO faucet. Ultimately, I do like the bridge portion of our faucet and decided to keep it. It would’ve added a big expense, so we just decided to buy the closest matching RO faucet we could find and drill another hole in our soapstone on the opposite side of the faucet.
In addition to the RO system and our hot water heaters (we have two of those because of our square footage), we also have a water softener for our home, as well as a whole house humidifier (which is an essential if you live in a dry state like Utah).
We have a lot happening under our kitchen sink… the sink itself is oversized and takes up the majority of the base cabinet, and we have a large garbage disposal as well. Combine that with cleaning supplies and other everyday items- we just didn’t have adequate space for it in the cabinet. Therefore, we installed it below that cabinet in my prop closet… which is actually located in our basement. It worked out perfect because when it came time to renovate our basement kitchen, we could easily access the system and have a filtered tap in the downstairs kitchen as well.
It’s actually not necessary for RO and our system adds back the healthy ionized minerals that were removed from the water during the RO process. He said he really just likes the taste of added minerals. This is the one he likes. Personally, I think it tastes a bit too metallic for my liking. I tried it and couldn’t adjust to the strong flavor. He always adds a few drops to his bottle of water, so it’s an easy process to achieve the flavor he prefers. He has never been a fan of plain water and usually likes to add drink mixes to his water, so the minerals actually make a lot of sense as opposed to a sugary sports mix packet.
Many systems do, which is why some include a remineralization stage to improve taste and balance.
Most filters are replaced every six to twelve months, depending on usage and the specific system.
Reverse osmosis systems generally provide more thorough filtration for drinking water than basic refrigerator filters.
Related Posts
If you’re interested in learning more about some of the healthy choices we’ve made for our home, I’ll link a few posts below.
- The Best Nontoxic Cookware I’ve Used for Years
- Why We Don’t Wear Shoes in the House
- Gardening with the Phases of the Moon: Lunar Planting Guide
- Our Basement Home Gym Reveal
Installing a reverse osmosis drinking water system has been one of those decisions that feels small, but significant. It solved a practical problem we’d been working around for years and did it in a way that fits seamlessly into our home. If you’ve been debating whether this kind of system is worth it, I hope this gives you a clearer picture of what it’s actually like to live with one. Let me know if you have any additional questions about our specific water system. How do you like your water? Do you drink a lot of it? I’d also love to hear your experience with RO (if you have a system installed), and be sure to leave any other feedback on this topic in the comment section below. I hope this post was helpful if you’re considering something similar.
Good morning! Such an informative post! I’m so surprised at the reasonable cost of the system; I think I imagined it would be thousands of dollars. I’m not shocked that Emmett found the install relatively easy (that guy!), but I would probably opt to call my plumber. The information on the system mentions several filters. How often do those need changing? Are there sensors or indicator lights to alert you, or do you just notice a difference in the water? Our city water tastes terrible (I-can-barely-choke-down-a-pill-with-it terrible), so we just keep gallon jugs filled at the local RO machine. Even though it’s not my chore, I love the idea of ridding ourselves of that task. Your experience definitely makes owning a water filtration system doable. Let’s talk about those trace minerals that Emmett adds to his water though. Who knew that was even a thing? Not this girl. Maybe they would improve my water intake. (I’m THE worst.) Thanks for sharing this; I always find personal testimonials so helpful in decision-making. Cheers to a super week…toiling away in your stunning new office! 💜
Good morning, Peggi! I imagined RO systems would cost much more, too. Based on the amount of water we drink, I definitely think it’s worth the convenience and knowing we have healthy water. The filters do need changing (great question!), and I wish the system had sensor lights that notify us of needing changed, but we just made reoccurring notes in our calendar. Some of them need changed once a year, while a few of them are every 6 months (depending on how many gallons you go through). It gives specifics in the user manual on swapping filters and cleaning. Our city water is also terrible, so I know the feeling. The local RO machine (at least the one at our grocery) uses the same type of system and filtering, so I’m willing to bet the water would taste the exact same as what you’re used to drinking from your refillable jugs. We didn’t know about the trace mineral drops until we did a deep dive into researching RO. Some systems that don’t filter the good minerals back into the water recommend physically adding trace minerals yourself. That’s when Emmett discovered those and he has been drinking them since, for flavor. They’re not for me (solely based on taste), but he really likes adding that to his water. Cheers to a stellar week, indeed! I’m loving working in my new space :) Hope you have a good Monday! xo
This is so timely. I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen and needed one. I trust your reviews and will purchase the one you linked. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that, Traci! We really love our system and haven’t had any issues with it. Five stars from us! We’ve had it up and running for around 6 months now.
Have you seen a Berkey water system? We love ours. I want my mom to get one because her water is so awful where she lives. I ask because I too do not like the way the standing units take up space or how they look. Of course, I also like your RO faucet…beautiful!
Water is such an integral part of our lives and especially good tasting, healthy water is so essential! Sorry to read about the sprayer. Yikes to the amount of radium!!! Scary! Emmett wins “best handy husband” award for the set-up and install of your RO system!
In this part of Texas we have hard water. In others, it is salty or smells/tastes like sulphur. When we moved into our rental I noticed the taste was different and read a couple of posts about there being some water issues in our area. I immediately looked into a water bottle unit like yours and almost bought it when I found the Berkey. I loved the aesthetics and ease of it. Once we got it filled, I could not believe the difference in taste. I even did a blind taste for my husband because he thought I was being silly about the tap water here. He couldn’t believe how much better it is. Plus we don’t get the hard water build up in our dogs bowls. I too prefer room temp water and tend to drink more of it.
About the well water….we will be drilling a well on our property and I want to hear about your experience growing up with it. Glad to read you loved it. I am concerned about laundry (whites) and corrosion on plumbing fixtures, etc. Maybe a RO system in the house will be a good option too! Have a great Monday! It was 70* here yesterday and this morning woke up to 40*. I cannot make this crazy weather up!
I haven’t, until now! I just did a quick search because curiosity got the best of me :) That’s definitely better looking than the freestanding units- thanks for sharing, Danna! Water really is so important and I’m thankful to know we have clean and healthy drinking water now… especially after the radium notice. Oof. Emmett did an awesome job installing everything- I’m very happy he knows how to do that. I love that you did a blind taste test with your husband- so smart and fun! We have hard water here in Utah, too. Growing up with well water was the best (childhood through college). Personally, I think it tastes so good, but having hard water was kind of an issue- we did a lot of cleaning build-up. A water softener can help with that, but we never had one. Our laundry was always crisp and white, so we never had any issues there. I will say, the biggest problem we had with well water was during power outages. We would often have bad thunderstorms and tornadoes, and when the power went out- we weren’t able to use our water. We would get one toilet flush and that was it. Something to think about… or invest in a generator, if you take that route. The weather has been wild here, too. It went from 65 and sunny to below 30 and a foot of snow. Haha! Today it was 35. I hope your week is off to a good start :) xo
RO is a feature we had growing up, and the flavor of the water was unparalleled then; I can’t imagine how much better it is now. Our city water comes directly from the well that supplies Arrowhead water, so it’s not completely terrible when it comes to flavor. We have a filtered water dispenser on our refrigerator, but it would be nice to move to something like this. What needs to be taken into consideration when installing a system like this? And are they designed to fit under the sink? Certainly I can appreciate the convenience and benefit of having an RO system and it’s nice to know you’re happy with yours. I would have thought a system like this would cost thousands more; it’s good to know it’s an affordable option. Are the filters terribly expensive? If I’m not mistaken you also have a water softener in your house? I wonder how much that extends the life of your filters. We have terribly hard water here. Thank you for sharing your experience and have a wonderful weekend!
It really is so good (and convenient)! In terms of consideration, the biggest thing is where it will be installed and if it will fit. They make countertop ones, ones that fit under the sink, and of course more robust systems that are pretty large. Ours is technically and under the sink system… it just doesn’t fit under our sink because our sink is gigantic and so is our garbage disposal. The filters aren’t too bad. A year worth of filters cost us roughly $150, which for us has been worth it. We do have a water softener in our house. I’m not quite sure if that helps with the RO or not. I’ll have to do some investigating. I hope that helps :) Have an amazing weekend, Lauren! xo
Thanks for this timely blog! I am curious to know about the softener system . There are few options but very expensive and I am not sure what to choose!
Can you share your thoughts about it please.
Thanks. Suhair
I’m so glad to hear that, Suhair! We have an A.O. Smith water softener… I believe it came from Lowe’s. We replaced the original one in our home shortly after moving in. It does a great job and we’re very happy with it! I hope that helps.
This is such great info, thank you! I always assumed these systems would be insanely expensive (I agree with what Peggi said in the comments!) but this isn’t bad at all! I livein North Texas, and while I’m not really a “water snob” like we joke about in my family, the taste of reservoir water in the summer can be ROUGH, especially during chlorine burn off season and if there’s a drought. I’ve been increasingly worried about the quality of what we’re drinking out of the faucet, but budget is an issue. This was so helpful! And I love the foot pedal! Thank you so much!
Quick product question — where did you find the lovely marble dish your scrub brush is in? I love how it and a pretty brush elevates such a necessary part of cleaning into something really lovely!
We’ve had an RO system for 23 years now in our last two homes and have absolutely loved it! My husband ran the line to the kitchen sink and to the refrigerator. The refrigerator then has good cold water and ice cubes.