Why is reverse-osmosis filtration so inefficient? Why is there so much water loss?
In: Physics
The osmosis filter divides waterflow to cleaner water and less clean water, you need the less clean water to keep flowing and carry out all the impurities in the water or all the dissolved solids will crash out and clog the filter very quickly.
If you were running already deionized water through the filter again then you could plug the waste port and you would be fine.
The higher the concentration of salt in the west water, the more equipment and energy you need. Because running out of water in the ocean is not a problem, you don’t have to optimise the total water usage.
It’s not inefficient. The water you’re considering “lost” is water being used to flush the filters clean regularly.
Imagine your reverse-osmosis filter produced zero water “loss,” but you were required to remove the filter and wash it daily.
That’s what the “lost” water is doing for you. It’s why the filters last so long.
Cleaning or replacing the filters is expensive. If you didn’t ‘waste’ any water, the filters would plug up very fast, and then you would have to clean or replace them. So in order to make lots of clean water, you have to make some dirty water as well.
Why is everyone calling it waste water when it’s usually gone through a charcoal or physical medium filter before hitting the R/O?
It’s literally filtered water, just not as filtered as the rest. It’s certainly better than straight from the tap. It’s definitely potable unless your tap is total shit. And I’d wager fewer peoples tap is total shit than they think (Flint MI residents excluded)
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