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Reverse osmosis waste water

Darold Petty

By Darold Petty
in OHANA NUI  -  OFF TOPIC SUB-FORUM

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Darold Petty Grand Master

Darold Petty

Posted
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My nephew is doing a science project with hydroponic vegetable growing using RO water. He asks if there is any practical use for the waste water stream. (I believe that this is several times the volume of the purified water.)

Len, or anyone else, your comments, please. :)

San Francisco, California

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Kailua_Krish Veteran

Kailua_Krish

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We use it to water plants, they don't seem to mind it!

-Krishna

Kailua, Oahu HI. Near the beach but dry!

Still have a garden in Zone 9a Inland North Central Florida (Ocala)

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LJG Grand Master

LJG

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Darold, I just went and got some numbers for you.

My tap water has a TDS PPM of 425 (today). The membranes on the RO system need replacing, so the TDS levels of the RO water in my storage container was 40 PPM. The waste water was 950 PPM. I run about a 3:1 ratio of RO to waste product on my system. I don't do anything with the waste water as that is too high of salt levels for most my plants I enjoy growing.

It should be noted I only run an RO system for my greenhouse plants.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

Posted
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Darold,

I agree with Len. Unless you are running aquariums with brackish water, salt water or a Tanganyika cichlid tank (don't use it with Malawi or Victoria tanks) the waste water is pretty useless.

I use RO water for fish tanks only. Occasionally, for orchids or some special plant. RO is soooo awesome for plants but the waste makes it really silly to use in light of drought conditions here.

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_Keith Grand Master

_Keith

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Find some salt tolerant palms that like a steady water supply?

In my post I sometimes express "my" opinion. Warning, it may differ from "your" opinion. If so, please do not feel insulted, just state your own if you wish. Any data in this post is provided 'as is' and in no event shall I be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages resulting from accuracy or lack thereof, insult, or any other damages

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Kailua_Krish Veteran

Kailua_Krish

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This may be a stupid question but Im curious as to why the salt levels are so high in the waste water if fresh groundwater is going into the unit. I can understand that it would concentrate whatever is in the groundwater but considering how much waste water is put out it would seem that it would only be marginally concentrated and would contain many of the salts/ions you want plants to have. Either way, mine is on gingers and palms and there is no ill effects. Maybe it has to due with your source water.

-Krishna

Kailua, Oahu HI. Near the beach but dry!

Still have a garden in Zone 9a Inland North Central Florida (Ocala)

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LJG Grand Master

LJG

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This may be a stupid question but Im curious as to why the salt levels are so high in the waste water if fresh groundwater is going into the unit. I can understand that it would concentrate whatever is in the groundwater but considering how much waste water is put out it would seem that it would only be marginally concentrated and would contain many of the salts/ions you want plants to have. Either way, mine is on gingers and palms and there is no ill effects. Maybe it has to due with your source water.

Not ground water here - tap. And california has high levels of TDS in the tap water. It varies, but my reading last night showed 425 PPM. Ground water would be much less of course and I am sure the waste water might even have less TDS than our tap.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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John Case Grand Master

John Case

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Could pond water purified through water lilies and ireses be an adequate substitute for RO water?

I water my seedling and potted palms with water from my koi pond, which also filters through a water garden (cannas, colocasias, etc).....I have not measures anything except nitrates, nitrites, ammonia, etc., and the water appears to be acceptable to the plants... I ought to check the dissolved solids.....

John Case

Brentwood CA

Owner and curator of Hana Keu Garden

USDA Zone 9b more or less, Sunset Zone 14 in winter 9 in summer

"Its always exciting the first time you save the world. Its a real thrill!"

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Kailua_Krish Veteran

Kailua_Krish

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This may be a stupid question but Im curious as to why the salt levels are so high in the waste water if fresh groundwater is going into the unit. I can understand that it would concentrate whatever is in the groundwater but considering how much waste water is put out it would seem that it would only be marginally concentrated and would contain many of the salts/ions you want plants to have. Either way, mine is on gingers and palms and there is no ill effects. Maybe it has to due with your source water.

Not ground water here - tap. And california has high levels of TDS in the tap water. It varies, but my reading last night showed 425 PPM. Ground water would be much less of course and I am sure the waste water might even have less TDS than our tap.

Makes sense, I always forget about the source water differences!

-Krishna

Kailua, Oahu HI. Near the beach but dry!

Still have a garden in Zone 9a Inland North Central Florida (Ocala)

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Hammer Grand Master

Hammer

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Could pond water purified through water lilies and ireses be an adequate substitute for RO water?

I assume this pond is tap water fed...

It depends on what you are trying to strip out of the water. Chlorine for example, yes. Sunlight or vitamin C will strip the chlorine. So just by nature of letting the water stand for 72 hours or so, the chlorine will dissipate. Salts and minerals are a different animal.

But, imho, the water run through a system like you described will be better in the near term. However, if it is a closed system, over time salts will build up to toxic levels and the desired positive impact will be lost.

To be effective over time, you have to dilute or remove.

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LJG Grand Master

LJG

Posted
Posted

Could pond water purified through water lilies and ireses be an adequate substitute for RO water?

I assume this pond is tap water fed...

It depends on what you are trying to strip out of the water. Chlorine for example, yes. Sunlight or vitamin C will strip the chlorine. So just by nature of letting the water stand for 72 hours or so, the chlorine will dissipate. Salts and minerals are a different animal.

But, imho, the water run through a system like you described will be better in the near term. However, if it is a closed system, over time salts will build up to toxic levels and the desired positive impact will be lost.

To be effective over time, you have to dilute or remove.

Yep, if you want to get rid of salts in the water, you need RO. Aquatic plants are great for balancing out the nitrates, nitrites, ammonia chain which helps keep the water clear and algae free, but the salt levels will only increase with time as new tap water is added and water evaporates out.

Len

Vista, CA (Zone 10a)

Shadowridge Area

"Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."

-- Alfred Austin

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Moose Grand Master

Moose

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In Florida RO waste water would probably not be an issue for our plants. Our amount of precipitation would dilute the salts and not accumulate. And of course we could always dump it around the Coconuts. I can see why it could be problematic for the California gardens. At least that is my humble opinion.

Coral Gables, FL 8 miles North of Fairchild USDA Zone 10B

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