Is reverse osmosis water safe to drink long-term?

Yes, RO water is safe for long-term drinking. The occasional 'RO water is too pure, it leaches minerals from your body' claim is not supported by real research — the mineral content in tap water is negligible compared to what you get from food.

Removing 95-99% of dissolved solids (including contaminants you actually don't want) is a clear net positive. Two small notes: RO water is slightly acidic because CO2 dissolves into it; this has no health effect but it means you shouldn't use it in steam irons or fish tanks without checking.

Also, most modern RO systems include a remineralization stage that adds back calcium and magnesium specifically for taste — we install those by default in Utah because RO water can taste 'flat' on its own.