Reverse osmosis systems are able to desalinate water, as well as remove other harmful chemicals from water sources. In some places, such water purification systems provide a significant amount of the population’s potable water. Reverse osmosis systems are better at filtering out the high quantities of some chemicals in water such as fluoride than a charcoal based filter, which is commonly found in homes and used in brands such as Brita or Pur. However, reverse osmosis systems are not a system that can be controlled or made by your everyday homemaker, and they are more often used for the purposes of residential water softening on a larger scale. Large residential water softening plants that use reverse osmosis systems will leave minute amounts of certain chemicals such as chlorine in the water to combat the growth of bacteria. If you are concerned about the quality of your tap water, it is possible to purchase under the counter filters or replace the pipes and faucets in your home to take advantage of reverse osmosis, but that is not necessarily an investment homeowners want to make. You can also purchase bottled water or a secondary filter for your faucets.