There are several problems that commonly occur with reverse osmosis. First is that the membranes tend to scale up. As the water is pushed through the membrane, the concentration in the water near the membrane increases – we can think of this as in increase in the hardness of the water! This increase in concentration means that the water becomes super-saturated and therefore starts to form scale on the membrane.

Another problem is that bacteria and algae can grow on the membrane. The scale that forms there can make bacterial growth problems worse as it gives the bacteria a place to hide. Both problems lead to blocking of the membrane. Blocking the membrane will make it even harder to force water through it, and therefore lead to a further decrease in the flow and the amount of fresh water produced.

By treating with Hydroflow, we can create clusters which form crystals when they hit the concentration layer. These crystals will then be washed away by the crossflow. Another advantage that HydroFLOW® has is to reduce the osmotic pressure and thereby increase the flow rate.