What do you do with your RO waste water?

[Chibils]

As the title says. I'm getting back in back to the hobby and this time I have a house. When I buy my RO system I'd like to be able to do something useful with the waste water.

[ca1ore]

Other than the very coldest months, I route mine to a cistern outside and use it to water the plants and veggies.

[Timfish]

I run mine to one of my peach trees

[CritterHeaven]

If you have a top loading washer that might work as well.

[TinaMcCord]

Ours is run out to a container on the deck then we use it for the lawn and roses.

[DivingTheWorld]

Top off our pond, water the lawn.

[jgraz]

down the drain.

One of these days I'll do something smart with it

[davocean]

Also top off pond, water garden

[Alexraptor]

Down the drain and some used for plant water.

[Chibils]

Watering plants seems like a popular one - I'll keep it in mind. 😊

If you have a top loading washer that might work as well.
How do you do this? Is it plumbed in, or do you just put the waste water line feeding into the washer tub?

[boojumsnark25]

Hate to say it, but down the drain...really hoping to set something up to water the flowers/shrubs with it this year

[Greatwyte]

I run mine to a flower bed except during winter months.

I have heard of others using it to fill washers and toilets.

[snorvich]

My wife uses it in her greenhouse.

[fishchef]

Great for Africans. They like hard water.

[Chuckd76]

you just put the waste water line feeding into the washer tub

^^This.
Just don't forget the water is on and go to bed like someone I know did (me).

[Burtonboy182]

Right now down the drain and I hate it. I feel so wasteful. Once I'm in my own home it's going to water the lawn.

[ksigaekdb]

I setup an herb garden on the opposite side of the wall from the RO unit, complete with low pressure drip line from the system. Nothing beats good water and fresh herbs when you are making Italian.

[d0ughb0y]

I used to collect the RO waste water in top load washer, but I got a lot of grief from people in the house complaining they cannot do their laundry. So that was not worth it.

As for collecting it in a container outside the house, make sure it does not become a mosquito breeding ground (e.g. zika).

Right now, it just goes down the drain. I just do less water change instead, half what I used to. I'd say most people are probably doing too much water change.

[Rotorocious]

I need to start containing mine. That water is much too nice to keep dumping down the drain!
I'm going to move my ro/di to the garage and will likely setup a collection bucket

[PedroMurcia]

I bred canaries and use enough water to wash in lye feeding, watering ... The use for this.

[Maxiusg]

I collect it in a 1000ltr IBC container and use it pumped with an external tap & sink for the garden, cleaning (power washing) the patio & deck,bar-b-que grill shelves, wash bicycles and kids muddy boots and anything external that isn't consumable..

[vashawn]

i use the left over for watering garden and planets

[FuzzyZipperbaum]

I ran a line to my pool. I live in Florida and have huge evaporation problems... I have yet to encounter any problems with the pools natural balance in doing this.

[csellers]

When I first purchased my RO/DI system I ordered an extra 30 feet of line for the waste water. Ran it through the dog door on my porch to my back yardand. I use it to water vegetables and fruit trees. Four years and counting and everything seems fine.

[Greybeard]

Swimming pool, in season, and it doesn't generate near enough to keep up with evaporation.

Out of season, it goes down the drain. Not as bad here as it might be elsewhere... our water comes out of the ground from a well, drain goes right back into the ground. All we're really wasting is the electricity we used pumping it out.

[conjuay]

Right now down the drain and I hate it. I feel so wasteful. Once I'm in my own home it's going to water the lawn.

Actually, you can't waste water. It is a closed system, from evaporation, to clouds, to precipitation, to watershed, to aquifer, water isn't wasted. Our fish are swimming in the liquid dinosaurs peed, millennia ago. And yes the same water we bathe in and drink.
:eek1:

[Reeferz412]

I ordered extra ro line. I now run it to my compost pile since it has been a little dry here in South FL so my pile has been dry and not composting fast enough. More compost, more dirt to use for my garden and other potted plants.

[Mw1981]

washer, and garden.

[RonMc]

I set mine up to my soaker hoses on the house.

[plecoco]

Garden.

[Monkeypod]

Nothing in the winter, in the summer I use it for the garden and other plants.

[neededahobby]

washing machine mostly
As others have said - if the waste line is close it is easy to just put it into a basic top loading laundry machine. It takes maybe an hour or so to fill BUT you need to remember to stop. AND it doesn't work for HOT loads cold or tap water only.

[Squampton]

It goes down the drain. We rent and live in an apartment and well we just have no need for the waste water, or anywhere to store it, so down the drain is the best.

[jbvdhp]

Watering plants and fruit trees


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[ProZack199]

Water The Plants With it

[merlinpi]

down the drain for now, my question is: as the RO is in the basement, anybody able to "recycle" it when it is draining in the basement ? (without hauling buckets?)

[Paul B]

Mine runs through my live blackworm keeper then down the drain.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_1991.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1991.jpg.html)

[tigersmith]

I collect my waste water in a 275 gallon tote you see on craigslist. Use it to water plants, wash skimmer collection cups, tongs, bone cutters, and wet band saw.

[TinaMcCord]

Water the lawn


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[crawlerman]

I use mine to keep bait fish for fishing. Might not be good enough for marine aquariums but does fine with bait. The waste water flow into my bait tank and the fresh water keeps waste from building up. Overflows into the lawn.

[noob916]

My is drain to a container for my plants around the home.

[Quinnchero]

We use it for mixed drinks when the in-laws come to visit.

[Reeferz412]

I went on CL and purchased two 55 gallon plastic barrels and a 250 gallon water storage tank. The two barrels have uniseals with a valve to connect my hose. I water my plants without wasting more water.

[turbogarrett]

I use it for top off on my freshwater tank and drinking water for the chickens.

[rainydave]

Water the yard, trees, etc.

[Hypnagogic_Jerk]

down the drain for now, my question is: as the RO is in the basement, anybody able to "recycle" it when it is draining in the basement ? (without hauling buckets?)


Also in the basement... I collect in large buckets and then use it for watering plants, cleaning/rinsing equipment (Kalk container, skimmer cup, etc), and filling outdoor fountain in the summer or toilet tank in the winter. Haven't developed a way to not carry buckets. :(

[Butch01]

I'm still *really* new at this whole thing. How much waste does a typical RO/DI unit produce per unit of RO/DI water?

[HippieSmell]

Mine runs through my live blackworm keeper then down the drain.


Me too!

[dallen2233]

I run my down the drain.

[Hypnagogic_Jerk]

I'm still *really* new at this whole thing. How much waste does a typical RO/DI unit produce per unit of RO/DI water?

Depends on the type of RO as well as the age/quality of the membrane, and also the temperature and pressure of the feed water.


I have a 35GPD unit and with a newish membrane I can get 1 gallon of RO water per 4-5 gallons of "waste".


Some units have electric pumps that drastically decrease this, down to possibly 1 gallon of waste per gallon of RO, and some cheaper units may go up to 8:1.

[Butch01]

Wow! That's a big difference. I'm going to be in Tucson, where water is at a premium. Need to look into rigging up the most efficient RO/DI unit I can in that case. Holy cow.

[reef thief]

I use mine to rinse out the waste drains in the nearest part of the house.

[mukota]

I have a friend who uses it for a fresh water tank.

[FirstContact]

I have something like 20ft of line that runs from the unit to the sump pump both in the basement. Pumps out to the backyard to water the grass but I still feel guilty...hey honey we need a pool in the backyard to help stop wasting rodi water! :jester: yeah right, pool I wish!

[Voodoojar]

Pump it into 3 stage carbon filter using a booster pump than into a 200gal holding tank to drink, shower whatever.

[vikinglord13]

Pump it into 3 stage carbon filter using a booster pump than into a 200gal holding tank to drink, shower whatever.

Now this is being efficient. I like this method. Do you also use it to cook with?

[jewlz]

Pump it into 3 stage carbon filter using a booster pump than into a 200gal holding tank to drink, shower whatever.

Nice, we store it and use it for watering plants and clothes washing. It all gets used up, so there's no need to shower in it. My next steps would be toilet flushing but that would require a whole other level.

[Protoavis]

For the garden.

Being in Australia, summer can be very dry and very very hot for multiple days...this can result in the death of plants if the soil is super dry and there's nothing for the plant to draw up through it's roots over night.

[Zatoichi]

Mine goes to rain barrels that feed my garden

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[marper331]

lots of great ideas here on wastewater. im hoping to try running the waste line to the back yard in the spring for watering plants. i hate watching it go down the drain!

[Sk8r]

Run a waste line to your toploading washing machine. It'll save it until needed. Doesn't work well with HO washers.

[btb72]

Do you mean he washers?

[Reef_Chief]

Im currently setting up a waste water tank in the attic that when full will bypass the main water line into the toilet cistern. It can all by controlled by 2 stop taps. Simple and eliminates all waste of water...

Also everyone with high enough tap pressure should be running an upgrade on the RO/DI unit. This will half waste and double the usable water. Its only about $50/£40.

[vikinglord13]

I don't see how running it to the washing machine works. Do you bypass the water-fill cycle or rely on the sensor to sense the water level to not add more water?

[tfeyrer]

^^This.
Just don't forget the water is on and go to bed like someone I know did (me).

LOL - Glad I'm not the only one!!

[tkeracer619]

I don't see how running it to the washing machine works. Do you bypass the water-fill cycle or rely on the sensor to sense the water level to not add more water?

The water level is kinda dumb. Simply a sensor that tells it when to stop filling so you can put the water in via the RO and the machine tops off and takes care of the rest.

Personally I send it back to the drain so that it may be reprocessed and sent back out to someone who's thirsty.

[Sounds Fishy]

I re route the waste water back into the cistern.

[Cammunoz]

LOL - Glad I'm not the only one!!



Man i do this all the time ! then i wake up to overflowing reservoirs fml! [emoji36][emoji305][emoji724]


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[Synden]

Currently goes down the drain :( but planning to plumb it into my front yard drip system to water plants once I build out my new water change station that ill be building this summer.

[Mr06evo]

Try to store as much of it as possible and use it to wash cloths or water the plants.

[CreoUCLA]

We water the plants and/or direct to a cistern for later use.

[Oeste]

down the drain atm

[AaaRr]

Currently going down the drain but after reading everything here may be worth getting a storage tank next to our garden and using it for the garden.

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[joyce322]

LOL - Glad I'm not the only one!!

Me three :)!

[Reefable]

This is a great thread....my rodi unit is in the basement in the boiler room...i have a small hole that can accomodate the line (i use to use this hole to provide fresh air to my skimmer but i dont need it anymore) so i can transfer the line up 4 ft and out 30ft into my back yard...way to go...

[Potatohead]

Cichlid tank water changes.

[minus9]

In no particular order, mine goes in the pool/spa, house plants, washing machine, fresh water tank top off and water changes. I have a 32g brute can that stores the waste (unused) water.

[accordexi]

So far it goes to waste but I have plans in the near future to use it for watering plants and grass.

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[MurphyLong]

I'm just curious, I have decent pressure at home, around 50psi. Is there enough pressure buildup on the wastewater lines to pump it long distances, say, 60-80 feet?

[tkeracer619]

I'm contemplating setting up a large pressure tank and using it for the faucet and auto wash down feature on my skimmer... I deal with chloramines so shy of doing a whole house setup or yet another point of use filter this could be a reasonable way to get it done.

Trying to think of the best way to accomplish this without impacting the RODI. Maybe a reservoir that a booster pump with pressure switch pulls from...

I used to have a 75gal rodi pressure tank... boy did that make a mess when the bladder failed :lol:

[ca1ore]

Route mine to the drain. Used to route it to the outside plant watering tub, but that is always full from rainwater so the effort seemed unnecessary. RODI goes into the barrel and the rainwater soaks into the ground; or rainwater goes into the barrel and RODI soaks the ground. Meh!

[JamesHolt]

down the drain into the septic system, filters down about 290ft, then over about 400ft, then back in the RODI unit...lol