Abstract
Abstract: There is no doubt that the contribution of reverse osmosis (RO) technology in desalination and providing safe drinking water at the national level is undeniable. However, the excessive and continuous expansion of its use at the household and small-scale level (small production capacities) may have negative effects on groundwater sources. This research aims to study this phenomenon and its impact on groundwater in the city of Gharyan as a model that can be generalized. The study includes field surveys and sampling of incoming, produced, and consumed water from some commercial establishments that purify and sell water at the municipal level, in addition to examining the sizes and types of units used. A similar household purification unit was installed and experiments were conducted on it using different sources of groundwater. Unfortunately, this study has shown that the percentage of clean, pure water obtained under the best conditions does not exceed 30% of the treated water quantity. Moreover, some cases even result in the wastage of water that is still suitable for drinking and can be reprocessed. The study also found that in many cases, the water treated does not exceed the internationally allowed maximum total dissolved solids (TDS) limit (between 500-1500 ppm), which in turn leads to wasting groundwater. Therefore, we recommend the following: x Raise awareness among citizens about the seriousness of water scarcity in the region and encourage water conservation. x Due to the amount of water wasted by using small-scale RO technology, we recommend reprocessing the water multiple times using this technology to provide larger quantities of usable water. x Seek alternatives for water desalination that are more economical and waste less water. x The responsible authorities should conduct necessary tests on the water to determine whether it requires treatment or can be used without treatment. Keywords: RO devices, water desalination, groundwater, total dissolved solids (TDS)