What is one of the primary disadvantages of reverse osmosis technology?

Reverse osmosis technology is widely used for water purification, but one of its primary disadvantages is indeed the waste of water during the filtration process. During reverse osmosis, water is pushed through a semipermeable membrane to remove impurities and contaminants. However, this process does not yield 100% pure water; instead, it separates clean water from contaminants, and a significant portion of the water—typically anywhere from 20% to 80%, depending on the system and water quality—is discarded as waste. This wasted water, which contains the concentrated contaminants, can lead to concerns in areas where water conservation is important, as it reduces the overall efficiency of the system and increases the cost of water purification. Understanding this limitation is crucial for evaluating the practicality and sustainability of reverse osmosis systems in various applications.