Yes. Most wastewater today is recycled for golf courses and artificial lakes. The drain water is slightly higher in TDS concentration than the incoming water, but as R.O. does not add anything to the water, it can be used to water your lawn or garden.
The typical ratio is 4 to 1, based on incoming water temperature and pressure.
There is a certain percentage of water from the system that goes to the drain. This water is carrying away the impurities. These particles are too small to be caught by the filters. Premier has an automatic shut-off valve that shuts off the flow of water to the drain when the holding tank is full. This valve stops the R.O. system from continuously running water down the drain, thus conserving water via the R.O. system working only according to usage.
They are washed down the drain. Unlike filters, the R.O. membrane is self-cleaning. As the source water flows through the module, it is divided into two streams. One stream is forced through the membrane by osmotic pressure created due to the water pressure on each side of the semi-permeable membrane. The second stream carries the rejected salts, dissolved pollutants and contaminates to the drain. Therefore, there is a minimum accumulation of debris on the pressure side of the membrane. Charcoal or carbon filters, on the other hand, become less efficient with each glass of water drawn through them. Carbon filters only remove a limited number of contaminants, some odors, and some tastes.