Water Purifier What is the Waste Water Rate and How to Prevent Waste?

Healthy, lime-free and delicious drinking water in the comfort of our home to reach today has ceased to be a luxury, it has become a basic need. Although the technologies that make the mains water safely drinkable in our homes increase our living standards, there is a very important question that often comes to mind these days when environmental awareness is increasing: water purifier What is the waste water rate? Many consumers, while enjoying the clear water that fills their glass, do not realise exactly how much water goes into the sewerage behind the curtain under the counter. The reality is that for every drop of clean water produced by conventional systems, a considerable amount of mains water is unfortunately sacrificed. In this comprehensive guide, we will examine in detail how water treatment systems work, the amount of wastewater from the devices, the effects of this situation on your bill and how you can prevent water waste to protect nature.

What is Waste Water (Concentrated Water) in Water Treatment Devices?

The concept of wastewater produced by water treatment devices is often misunderstood among consumers. Although sewage or sewerage water is the first thing that comes to mind when “waste water” is mentioned, the water discharged from the treatment systems is definitely not poisonous or dirty water. This liquid is the concentrated form of heavy metals, sediment and dense minerals that are already naturally present in municipal water. This is often referred to in the industry as concentrated water or calcareous water.

Today’s modern devices generally work with the reverse osmosis (Reverse Osmosis) logic. The membrane filter, which forms the heart of this system, has pores one millionth of a millimetre in size. This membrane, which only allows the passage of pure water molecules, needs to be constantly washed to avoid clogging. In order to prevent harmful substances from clogging its pores, the RO system divides the incoming water into two; it takes the clean and pure part into the tank, while the calcareous and mineralised part cleans its surface and throws it out under pressure. Therefore, this disposal process is a technical necessity for the long life of the filter.

Household Water Purifier How Much Waste Water Discharges?

How much water traditional household water purifiers consume varies greatly depending on the technology used. The waste water ratio is generally accepted as 1: 3 or 1: 4 in systems produced with old generation, standard technology. In other words, the device sends 3 to 4 litres of water to the sewage system as waste to give you 1 litre of drinking water. According to industry data, the actual water recovery rate of standard domestic appliances is only between 10 and 25 per cent, with the remaining 75-90 per cent going down the drain.

The reflection of these rates on daily use is quite striking. In a standard household that consumes only 1 gallon (approximately 3.78 litres) of clean water per day, an average of 1,095 to 1,460 gallons of water (approximately 4,145 – 5,526 litres) is wasted annually due to an old type device. Considering that the daily drinking and cooking water requirement of a family of four is 10 litres on average, an old type purifier wastes 30-40 litres of water per day and about 1 tonne per month.

Ihlas, Arcelik and LG Water Purifier Waste Water Amount

Devices commonly used in the Turkish market generally use similar basic technologies. For example, in a classic İhlas water purifier or a standard Arçelik model, the ratios are usually between 1:2 and 1:4 depending on the mains pressure. Devices using LG membrane filters, which stand out in the market with their filter quality and are frequently preferred, can filter the water more efficiently thanks to the quality of the pore structure and draw the amount of wastewater a little lower (for example, to 1:2.5 levels). However, in conventional non-motorised (non-pumped) systems, it is not possible to completely eliminate wastewater or reduce it to 1:1 ratio without additional technologies.

Main Factors Affecting Wastewater Rate

The amount of wastewater produced by a water treatment device is not a fixed value; it varies according to the physical conditions of the house where the device is installed and the equipment of the device. The most important of these factors is the mains pressure. For reverse osmosis systems to work efficiently, the ideal water pressure should be between 4 to 5 bar (60-70 PSI as PSI value). If you live on the high floors of the apartment building and your pressure is low, the device has difficulty in pushing the water through the membrane and discharges waste water for hours because it cannot produce clean water.

The surest way to eliminate the problem of low pressure, pump water treatment models is to prefer. These devices, which have a small motor (booster pump) on them, increase the mains water to the ideal pressure and transmit it to the membrane filter. Thus, compared to non-pump purifiers, the water is filtered much faster and the amount of wastewater is significantly reduced. In addition, since the temperature of the mains water also affects the viscosity, it becomes difficult to filter the water that cools down in winter and some increase in the amount of wastewater is observed in winter.

Environmental Systems Reducing Wastewater: Rainwater Technology

Today, new generation systems with environmentally friendly and high technology have been developed against the huge water wastage caused by old devices. High wastage ratios such as 1:3 or 1:4 in traditional devices are becoming history thanks to innovative designs. Especially high efficiency Rainwater under-counter models (e.g. Superior Alkali or Black Diamond series) can reduce this ratio to 1:1 thanks to their powerful motor structures and integrated waste water restriction equipment.

In global standards, the wastewater ratio in high-efficiency purifiers with EPA’s WaterSense label is limited to a maximum of 1:2.3; even replacing an old generation device with a new generation model that meets these standards saves an average of 11,700 litres of water per year. For a cleaner world and lower water bills, you should definitely invest in technologies that minimise the amount of wastewater when choosing water treatment devices for your home.

Waste Water Comparison Table by Device Types

The table below clearly shows the wastewater production of the different appliance types and their impact on the family budget/environment (based on a daily production of 10 litres of clean water).

Water Purifier Does Not Intercept Waste Water: Troubleshooting Guide

Sometimes your water purifier can throw water without stopping, far beyond the amount specified in its design. Even if your tank is full, if you hear a continuous flow of water from the sink drain, there is a malfunction in your device that needs to be intervened.

Four Way Valve (Shut-Off Valve) Malfunction

The four-way valve(shut-off valve), which is the mechanical equivalent of the brain in water treatment devices, is responsible for automatically shutting off the water from the mains when the clean water tank is full. If this valve is broken due to calcification, wear or mains contamination, the system cannot cut off the water even if the tank is full. The device continuously passes the water through the membrane filter and starts to discharge it into the drain. The solution is quite simple; replacing the four-way valve with a new one, which is a cheap spare part, solves the problem instantly.

Pressure Tank (Tank) Air Drop

The tanks of water purifiers do not only accumulate water; they also push the water towards the tap thanks to the air cushion inside. When the air in the pressure tank decreases or the membrane of the tank bursts, the device cannot fully fill the tank. Since the system will constantly perceive itself as “there is missing water”, it works non-stop for days and creates a huge waste of water. The pressure should be measured from the valve of the tank and if necessary, 6-7 PSI air should be pumped with a bicycle pump.

Membrane Filter Blockage and Low Pressure

The membrane filter, which is the main heart of the device, becomes clogged with sediment and lime over time. When clean water cannot pass through the filter whose pores are filled, almost all of the water entering from the network is directed directly to the waste water channel. Especially in systems without booster pumps, instantaneous drops in mains pressure can also paralyse the device. The membrane filter must be replaced every 1-2 years, which is the ideal life of the membrane filter.

Troubleshooting Table

Can Waste Water from Treatment be Used?

Most users connect the waste water drain hose directly to the kitchen drain. However, we have already mentioned that this water is actually just mains water enriched in minerals (increased hardness). In this context, it is possible to utilise this water through effective recycling. The drain hose can be diverted to a water storage bin under the worktop.

This accumulated water is not drunk or used in cooking, but it is a great alternative for washing balconies, pouring into toilet tanks, mopping floors or watering garden plants that like acidic soil. Considering that only 71.6% of the 5 billion cubic metres of wastewater discharged annually in Turkey can be processed in biological treatment plants, it can be better understood how big a step these small recoveries we can make at home are for nature.

Water Purifier What should be considered when buying and using?

When purchasing a device, not only how the filter makes the water taste, but also the water efficiency of the system should be looked at. Models with a pump (motor) should be preferred because the motor prevents fluctuations in the mains pressure and ensures that the membrane filter operates at maximum performance. It should also be ensured that a correct waste water restrictor (Flow Restrictor – Flow 300/400) is used in the equipment. If the restrictor fails, it will not be able to brake the water and will cause more water than necessary to go down the drain.

If you already have an old device and it wastes water a lot, you can investigate the hydraulic apparatus called “Permeate Pump”. The permeate pump, which works completely with hydraulic pressure without using electricity, is a small miracle that can reduce the waste water production of the device up to 80% by breaking the membrane resistance. When searching for a device for home or office use, it will be the most profitable investment in the long term to choose a water treatment dispenser or under-counter unit with alkaline water feature that will protect both your budget and nature, minimise wastewater rate, and add beneficial minerals to the water.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How much waste water is used in 1 litre of purification water?

Conventional (old generation) household water purifiers send an average of 3 to 4 litres of water to the sewer as waste to obtain 1 litre of clean water. However, this ratio varies according to the model of the device (with pump / without pump), the pressure of the mains water and the temperature of the water. While this ratio is reduced to 1 litre of waste water for 1 litre of clean water (1:1) in pumped (motorised) and new generation high efficiency devices, up to 8 litres of water can be wasted for 1 litre of water due to low pressure in old or poorly maintained devices.

How much wastewater does the purifier dispose of?

An average water purifier manufactured with standard technology (assuming a 1:3 ratio) wastes about 30 litres of water per day for a daily consumption of 10 litres of clean water for a family of 4 people. This means an average of 900 litres (0.9 tonnes) of waste water per month. Although this amount is reflected on the monthly water bill as a relatively low amount, it is a serious waste in terms of protecting the environment and water resources. Technologically advanced and motorised treatment models should be preferred to minimise waste water production.

What is the water purifier waste water?

Waste water in the water purifier is not a dirty water containing bacteria harmful to human health such as sewage water at home. It is the main filter (membrane) separated by the main filter (membrane) in the device of lime, sediment and dense minerals that already exist in the mains water. The membrane filter divides the incoming water into two in order to prevent these substances from clogging its microscopic pores; while the clean part is taken into your home tank, the calcareous and concentrated part is pressurised and thrown towards the drain. This liquid, which is necessary for system health, is called waste water.

What is the wastewater charge on the water bill?

The “Waste Water Fee” or Sewerage Usage Fee that you see on your water bill is a fee for a general infrastructure service provided by municipalities, rather than the water produced by the water treatment device in your home. It is a tax on the clean water you draw from the mains, which is mixed with sewage through toilets, bathrooms, washing machines and sinks and sent to municipal treatment plants (and biologically processed there). Since your water purifier also sends some of the water it draws from the network to the drain, it will indirectly increase your overall consumption amount on the bill and accordingly your wastewater fee amount, albeit at a very low rate.

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