What is a Reverse Osmosis (RO)?
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a powerful filtration method used in wastewater treatment that employs a semi-permeable membrane to remove ions, unwanted molecules, and larger particles from water. This process is driven by applying pressure to the water being treated and forcing it through the RO membrane. The membrane's pores are small enough to block contaminants and allow only clean water to pass through, effectively reducing the presence of dissolved salts, bacteria, and organic substances.
RO produces a permeate stream (purified water) and a concentrate stream (reject stream). The RO reject is typically evaporated or hauled away for disposal.The permeate stream is typically reused in the facility's process or discharged to the sewer or environment.
When should I implement a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system?
Many industries require high-purity water for their processes. Industries such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, power generation, and food and beverage production utilize reverse osmosis (RO) to meet strict water quality standards.
Because RO can also treat wastewater to a high enough quality to meet standards for discharge or reuse, reducing the demand on freshwater resources. This is particularly relevant in water-scarce regions or for facilities aiming to achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD) by recycling water.
Another common application of RO is to reduce the volume of wastewater prior to downstream treatment such as thermal evaporation processes.
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Typical Industrial Wastewater Applications for RO:
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Metal working wastewater reclamation
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Cannabis cultivation fertigation wastewater reuse
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Surface finishing wastewater reclamation
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Plastics manufacturing wastewater
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Chemical manufacturing wastewater
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Pharmaceutical wastewater
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Food & Beverage wastewater reuse
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Salt brines