Reuse of dialysis reverse osmosis reject water for aquaponics and horticulture

Water crisis is becoming a threat to the well-being of the human population worldwide and use of water for healthcare contributes substantially to this resource depletion. Hemodialysis consumes large quantities of water. A huge volume of high purity dialysis water is required to safely perform dialysis treatment. In this process, up to 60-70% of source water is discarded. Many strategies have been suggested to promote green dialysis, and these include reuse of water, however, very few dialysis facilities have taken the preliminary steps to employ it.

We share our experience in a developing country on an innovative reject-water reuse program combining aquaculture, hydroponic and horticulture activities. This is by far the first report on a "green dialysis" project involving aquaponics that reuse dialysis reverse osmosis (RO) reject water.

Our expereince suggests that reject water can be reused to promote water conservation with encouraging results. It provides a good and biosecure environment for fish breeding and vegetable farming . This project promotes a reduction in carbon footprint, a reduction in water waste, a sustainable organic food source, may lead to income generation, and provides a shared purpose and sense of pride among staff and dialysis patients.

Encompassing "environmental protection" practices into a hemodialysis unit can be done with relatively simple and practical steps.