Why so much waste?

[MasterBlaster]

Can someone gimme the Cliff's Notes on why three gallons of water is wasted to get one gallon of RO water?

 

[Matak]

Only 3-1? My sink RO has a 10-1 waste ratio. But it's more than a decade old.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I think it's time for you to upgrade.

So, no one has a simple explaination? :sad

 

[125gJoe]

"In reverse osmosis, the idea is to use the membrane to act like an extremely fine filter to create drinkable water from salty (or otherwise contaminated) water. The salty water is put on one side of the membrane and pressure is applied to stop, and then reverse, the osmotic process. It generally takes a lot of pressure and is fairly slow, but it works."

Link: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question29.htm