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By Dr.Rita Evelyne Joshua, Publishing Associate: Researcher and Writer at Save the Water™ | March 28, 2026
Edited by Jaslene Szeto, Publishing Associate: Editor at Save the Water™
Water treatment has many purposes, such as providing clean drinking water, supporting industrial activities, and treating wastewater before releasing it back into water bodies. Methods such as filtration, adsorption, and reverse osmosis handle most of this work today. However, Forward osmosis is now gaining popularity as it uses no external energy. It is also growing fast, jumping from $0.71 billion in 2025 to $2.43 billion by 2035, making it a technology worth exploring.
Forward osmosis is a natural process where water moves across a semipermeable membrane from a low-concentration solution to a high-concentration solution. Therefore, no external energy is required for filtration. We see this process in nature; for instance, plants pulling water from the soil, cells transporting minerals, and kidneys filtering blood using this very principle.
Industries actively use Forward osmosis to treat water, recover resources, and concentrate wastewater. Compared to reverse osmosis, it is simpler and less costly.
Forward Osmosis needs three key components to produce clean water:
1. Semipermeable membrane: This membrane lets water pass through freely but blocks salts and other contaminants.
2. Feed solution: This is the water that needs to be treated. This can be wastewater, highly concentrated industrial water, or fruit juices.
3. Draw solution- This is a highly concentrated salt solution. It is made from salts like sodium chloride or ammonium salts. It creates a strong concentration to pull water out of the feed solution across the membrane.
- Forward Osmosis runs without external energy. It also uses less energy to pump the feed and draw solutions into the system.
- It skips the pre-processing unit that most other treatment methods need to reduce contaminant loads.
- It handles high salt and TDS concentrations efficiently.
- Like all membrane filtration systems, Forward osmosis struggles with membrane fouling.
- Concentration polarization — salts and solutes clog the membrane pores, slowing down water flow.
- Reverse solute diffusion — solutes from the draw solution leak into the feed solution, reducing efficiency.
- Setting up the system is expensive, and scaling it up brings additional challenges.
Forward Osmosis successfully treats seawater and converts it into clean, drinkable water. Countries such as Oman, Korea, and Japan already run desalination units that use this process.
Forward Osmosis separates salts and waste from wastewater and concentrates. Industries then utilize the extracted water and use it for further applications.
Small-scale commercial equipment uses this treatment for beverages without applying pressure or heat. This concentrates juices, dairy products, and wine effectively.
Preparation of solutions for kidney dialysis treatment. It also concentrates waste discharge, producing less waste overall.
Used to purify drinking water and treat wastewater generated in the field.
Researchers are actively tackling the challenges of scaling and membrane fouling.
- Scientists are developing ion-selective membranes that resist fouling.
- Researchers are combining Forward osmosis with other techniques like reverse osmosis and filtration to improve its overall function and efficiency.
Forward Osmosis already covers a broad range of applications and its potential keeps growing. As engineers combine it with other technologies and develop more effective, sustainable membranes, Forward osmosis will lead the next generation of water treatment.
Save the Water™ is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to conduct research to identify and remove harmful contaminants in water and to raise public awareness about water contamination and its health impacts.
