The Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) is a challenging parameter in the tannery effluent that cannot be treated by conventional method or by any simple treatment system. In Tamil Nadu, the tannery treatment plants are forced to find out a suitable technology that can control the Total Dissolved Solids. The pollution control boards are insisting the Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) and the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) to meet out the standards for the basic parameters as well as the TDS. Many technologies were tried in the ETP and CETP to control TDS, such as dilution with sewage, relocation of the industry to sea shore, adoption of salt free raw material, leather processing, desalting of hides & skins, segregation of salt laden liquor and its separate treatment, membrane technologies such as electro dialysis (ED), electro dialysis reversal (EDR) and reverse osmosis (RO). Practical viability of the technology was also considered while conducting the pilot studies. Though quite costly and technology challenging, Reverse Osmosis option is being increasingly looked into by the tanneries of India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, mainly owing to two factors: (a) it can solve the problem of salt in the effluent by avoiding the effluent discharge and (b) the recovery of good quality of process water is a big attraction to the water scarce tannery clusters. The objective of the present study is to analyze various technologies followed by the ETPs and CETPs in the country and adopt a suitable technology to remove solids from the effluent. In this connection the reject handling of the RO system was also studied. Tannery effluent contains multi-salt and purification of reject using Nano-filtration and reuse is not possible, hence evaporation of reject can be done using mechanical means and natural means. Natural evaporation can be carried out for the RO system capacity below 500 m3 per day and mechanical evaporation can be done for the RO system capacity above 500 m3 per day. Cost analysis also carried out and the economics of evaporation of reject is crucial for viability of the technology. © EM International Printed in India. All rights reserved.