Considering the state of water resources everywhere in the world, installing the best water purifier in the house becomes important.
However, do you know that these RO water purifiers waste a lot of water? Can you imagine the wastage?
Studies have shown that for every litre of water these machines purify, they waste 2 to 3 litres depending on the TDS levels of the water source.
Remember that the RO water purifiers have a separate outlet for eliminating the impure water.
This water contains a lot of organic and inorganic salts. Is there any way to recycle this water back into the RO system? No, it is not advisable as well.
This is waste water and you should explore better ways of using this water than recycling it into your RO machine. Before reusing the wastewater, it is better to check the TDS levels. If the levels are too high, you might not have any option but to throw it away.
We shall look at some of the possible ways of using reject waste water from the RO water purifier.
Water your plants
Up to a certain extent, you can use the reject water for watering your plants and lawns. Water in the cities has lesser levels of TDS. Hence, this ‘reject water’ is more useful in comparison with the harder water. It is better to check the TDS levels of the reject water before using it on plants. TDS levels over 2100 can prove detrimental. The reject water contains a lot of sodium as well. Hence, it is better to be careful as excess sodium can affect the fertility of the soil.
Washing your car
This is probably the best use of the reject water from the RO machine. Understand that washing a car consumes a lot of water. If you use a hose, you could end up using as much as 75 litres of water to wash your car. Use the reject water from the RO machine, especially if they have TDS levels in the range of 1500 to 2000. Washing your car with a bucket of clean water immediately after using the reject water is advisable as you can get rid of salt deposits.
Mopping the floor
You can mix the reject water from the RO machine and the normal tap water for mopping the floors. You can do this exercise every alternate day while using the normal water in between. This will ensure that there is no accumulation of salt deposits on the floor.
Washing utensils
You do not have to make any changes to your infrastructure to use reject water from RO machines to wash utensils. Just collect the reject water in a big utensil and use it for washing your cooking utensils. Remember to wipe them dry using a clean cloth to avoid accumulation of salt deposits.
Cleaning and flushing toilets
You will have to make some major adjustments to your RO water machine in order to ensure collection of water for flushing toilets. The effort is worth the expense because you end up saving a lot of water in the bargain. In case you experience any discolouration of the floor, you can use your regular toilet cleaner to eliminate them.
Pre-rinse your clothes
Rinsing your clothes with reject water from the RO machine before using the rinse cycle of your semi-automatic washing machine. Making arrangements for collecting the water from the RO machine is possible.
We have seen 6 uses of reject water from the RO machines. Ensure that this water does not have high levels of TDS. As long as the TDS levels are below 2000, it is fine. There is industrial use for the reject water, especially in the soap manufacturing or the cosmetic industry because of the astringent qualities of the reject water.