The fundamental driver is feed water salinity. If your feed is under 10,000 ppm TDS (typical wells, rivers, treated wastewater), brackish water RO (BWRO) is the right choice — operating at 200-400 psi with ~one quarter the energy of seawater RO. Above 10,000 ppm TDS, you need seawater RO (SWRO) at 800-1,000 psi. BWRO fits when: well water, treated municipal wastewater, river intake, brackish coastal aquifers, industrial process water polishing. SWRO fits when: ocean/sea intake, high-salinity ground water (>10,000 ppm), produced water from oil and gas, desalination of estuarine water above the brackish threshold. Hybrid scenarios: some systems use BWRO as the primary stage and SWRO as a polish, or vice versa, depending on TDS profile and target output. No. BWRO operates at 200-400 psi which is insufficient to overcome seawater's 380-450 psi osmotic pressure. The membrane would simply not produce permeate. Yes, but inefficiently. Running an SWRO at 800 psi on 5,000 ppm feed wastes energy. Convert to BWRO membranes and lower the pump pressure for proper economics. BWRO operating cost: $0.50-1.50 per cubic meter. SWRO: $1.50-4 per cubic meter. The 2-3x cost difference is dominated by energy use. Send us your feed water analysis (TDS, pH, hardness, SDI) and we'll recommend BWRO or SWRO and provide a quote. Request a Quote Related guides: Desalination Buyer's Guide · SWRO Systems CatalogBWRO vs SWRO: Choosing the Right RO Technology for Your Feed Water
Side-by-Side
Spec BWRO SWRO Feed TDS range 500-10,000 ppm 20,000-45,000+ ppm Operating pressure 150-400 psi (10-28 bar) 800-1,000 psi (55-70 bar) Recovery 65-85% 35-50% Energy use 0.8-1.5 kWh/m³ 2.5-4 kWh/m³ Typical membrane FilmTec BW30, Hydranautics ESPA FilmTec SW30, Hydranautics SWC Pump type Multi-stage centrifugal often Danfoss APP / CAT triplex / Grundfos BME Energy recovery device Rarely justified (low pressure) Standard above 10,000 GPD (ERI PX) Cost (10,000 GPD) $25-40k $70-110k When to Choose Which
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a BWRO system handle seawater?
Can an SWRO system handle brackish water?
What's the cost per gallon of BWRO vs SWRO?
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