Disclosed herein is a system comprising an evaporation unit comprising a first heat exchanger in fluid communication with a second heat exchanger; where the first heat exchanger is operative to heat an effluent stream comprising an amine solvent and/or amine byproducts and water and to discharge the effluent stream to the second heat exchanger; where the second heat exchanger is operative to convert the effluent stream into a distillate stream and a concentrate stream; and a reverse osmosis unit in fluid communication with the evaporation unit; where the reverse osmosis unit comprises a first reverse osmosis unit that is operative to receive the distillate stream and to separate water from byproducts of the amine solvent such that the water has a purity of greater than 95%, based on the weight of the distillate stream.