A permeate pump can typically reduce water waste in reverse osmosis systems by up to 80%. In general, permeate pumps can achieve a waste water reduction of around 50% to 80%. This means that for every gallon of purified water produced, only around 20% to 50% is wasted as reject water. This is achieved by utilizing the energy from the brine flow to enhance the pressure applied to the feed water, leading to increased permeate production and reduced reject water volume. Typically, these pumps range from $50 to $200 and they do not use electricity.

The elevated pressure allows for more effective filtration and higher water recovery rates. By boosting the pressure, permeate pumps facilitate a greater volume of water passing through the semi-permeable membrane, resulting in increased production of purified water (permeate) and reduced reject water (brine). The heightened pressure helps overcome osmotic pressure and allows for a more thorough extraction of purified water from the feed stream.