Many rural homeowners are surprised to learn that there are two very different approaches to treating well water.
Most of our customers use what we call a conventional water treatment system—typically an iron filter, water softener, and reverse osmosis drinking water system at the kitchen sink. These systems solve the most common water quality problems very effectively and economically.
Others choose a Whole Home Reverse Osmosis (WHRO) system, which purifies all of the water entering the home.
Saskatchewan wells are known for “brackish” water with a high level of dissolved solids, and we are at the forefront of the “whole home RO” revolution which has found clients who previously thought their water was untreatable to be able to get perfect results. This revolution, however, has resulted in many companies overselling whole home ROs, and a lot of misinformation has also been presented.
Infinite Water specializes in both conventional and WHRO systems.
So which is better?
The answer depends entirely on your water and situation.
First, What Does Reverse Osmosis Actually Do?
One of the biggest misconceptions in the water treatment industry is that reverse osmosis is designed to remove things like iron, hardness, and manganese.
It isn’t.
Reverse osmosis was originally developed to desalinate water—in other words, to remove dissolved salts and extremely small impurities from water. It excels at removing contaminants that conventional treatment cannot easily address, including:
- High Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)
- Nitrates
- Sulfates
- Arsenic
- Uranium
- Sodium
- Many dissolved metals
- Other microscopic contaminants
These are contaminants that can pass right through traditional treatment equipment.
Iron, hardness, and manganese are different. They’re typically much larger contaminants that are usually addressed more effectively using dedicated treatment equipment.
Why Whole Home RO Still Needs Conventional Treatment
Another common misunderstanding is that whole home RO systems are designed for high iron or hard water.
In reality, iron and hardness must generally be removed before water reaches the RO system.
RO membranes are sensitive equipment. Excessive iron can foul and damage them, reducing performance and increasing maintenance costs.
That’s why a properly designed whole home RO system often includes:
- Iron filtration
- Water softening or antiscalant for hardness reduction
- Additional pre-treatment equipment
In other words, a whole home RO system doesn’t replace conventional treatment—it typically builds upon it.
If you’ve heard someone describe a whole home RO as a solution for high iron water, a more accurate description would be that the iron still needs to be addressed through conventional treatment before the RO system can do its job effectively.
When Conventional Treatment Is Often the Best Choice
For many Saskatchewan wells, conventional treatment is all that’s required.
If your water issues are primarily:
- Iron
- Manganese
- Moderate hardness
- Sulfur odour
- Minor staining concerns
A properly designed iron filter and water softener can often provide excellent results.
In fact, if iron and hardness are your only concerns, a whole home RO system may not provide much additional benefit.
Why?
Because the iron and hardness must already be removed before the water reaches the RO membranes. Once those issues have been addressed, there may be little left for the RO system to improve in a way you’ll actually notice.
In these situations, a whole home RO can sometimes become an expensive solution to a problem that has already been solved.
When Whole Home RO Makes Sense
There are situations where whole home RO can be the ideal solution.
Extremely High TDS
When dissolved mineral content exceeds roughly 1,500 ppm, homeowners often notice:
- Salty taste
- Mineral buildup
- Poor soap performance
- Difficulty achieving satisfactory water quality with conventional equipment
Extreme Hardness
Most water softeners perform very well.
However, at hardness levels above approximately 70–80 grains per gallon, softeners must exchange large amounts of hardness for sodium.
This can lead to salt staining and corrosion, or that dreaded “white film” on everything. Sometimes, this is confused with hard water stains as it looks similar.
Whole home RO removes hardness minerals rather than exchanging them, eliminating the need for softener salt.
High Nitrates, Sulfates, Arsenic, Uranium, or Other Dissolved Contaminants
These contaminants are often difficult or expensive to treat conventionally.
RO technology is specifically designed for these types of dissolved impurities.
High Tannin Water
Tannin can be particularly challenging, especially when naturally soft water is involved.
In many tannin applications, whole home RO can provide a cleaner, more consistent result than conventional treatment methods.
Complex Water
Some wells simply have multiple issues occurring at once.
When water contains a combination of dissolved salts, metals, nitrates, hardness, tannins, or other challenging contaminants, whole home RO often becomes the most reliable long-term solution.
Homeowners Who Want the Best Possible Water
Some customers simply want the highest level of treatment available regardless of cost.
For those homeowners, whole home RO is widely considered the gold standard.
Benefits of Whole Home Reverse Osmosis
When properly applied, whole home RO offers some impressive advantages:
Pure Water from Every Tap
Every faucet in the home receives purified water—not just the kitchen sink.
No Softener Salt Required
Whole home RO removes hardness rather than exchanging it for sodium.
Consistent Water Quality
RO systems deliver highly predictable, repeatable results regardless of seasonal water changes.
Broad Contaminant Reduction
Whole home RO removes many contaminants that homeowners may not even know are present.
Spot-Free Rinsing
Vehicles, windows, siding, and outdoor surfaces can often be rinsed with minimal spotting.
Excellent for Specialty Applications
Many customers use RO water for:
- Livestock
- Greenhouses
- Spray systems
- Sensitive equipment
- Specialty agricultural applications
High Performance Systems
Modern whole home RO systems can be designed with storage and pumping systems that provide excellent pressure throughout the home.
Why Whole Home RO Isn’t for Everyone
Despite its advantages, whole home RO isn’t automatically the right answer.
Higher Initial Investment
Whole home RO systems are significantly more expensive than conventional treatment systems.
Higher Annual Maintenance
Most homeowners should expect approximately $1,200–$1,500 per year in maintenance and consumables.
More Equipment
More components means more maintenance and more potential repair points over time.
Additional Space Requirements
Whole home RO systems require considerably more room than conventional treatment systems.
Some Noise
Storage tanks, booster pumps, and refill cycles can create noise that conventional systems typically do not.
Water Waste
Most modern systems operate around a 1:1 recovery ratio, meaning approximately one gallon is discharged for every gallon of purified water produced.
Sometimes It’s Simply Overkill
If your water quality concerns can already be solved with an iron filter and softener, a whole home RO system may deliver little practical benefit beyond a larger invoice.
So Which System Is Right For You?
The best water treatment system isn’t the most expensive one.
It’s the one that addresses your specific water quality challenges.
For many homeowners, a conventional system consisting of an iron filter, softener, and drinking water RO provides everything they need.
For others—especially those with high TDS, extreme hardness, nitrates, sulfates, arsenic, uranium, tannins, or highly complex water chemistry—a whole home RO system may be the ideal solution.
That’s why we always start with a complete water analysis and discuss your goals before recommending equipment.
Sometimes the answer is conventional treatment.
Sometimes it’s whole home RO.
Our job is simply to help you choose the solution that makes the most sense for your water, your home, and your budget.
If you’d like to know more, give us a call. Our promise to you is that our focus will always be on education rather than selling.
