What is the typical target recovery percentage for an RO unit?

The typical target recovery percentage for a reverse osmosis (RO) unit is often around 85%. This percentage represents the volume of purified water produced compared to the total volume of feed water. A recovery percentage of 85% is advantageous as it indicates effective performance of the RO system, where a significant portion of the incoming water is being successfully transformed into useful product water.

Achieving a high recovery percentage minimizes wastewater, making the operation more efficient and economically viable. However, it's essential to note that while higher recovery rates are generally desirable, they can lead to increased concentration of contaminants, which may affect the quality of the produced water and the longevity of the RO membranes. Thus, the balance of recovery percentage with water quality and membrane integrity is critical in the design and operation of an RO system.

In this context, percentages that go significantly above or below the typical range may lead to issues, such as the buildup of scaling or other operational challenges, making 85% an ideal target for many standard RO applications.