Quote:
Originally Posted by KathyT
Where are we going to find huge quantities of ag land and water for future generations?
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Seawater Desalination in California
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND
- Desalination Plants Worldwide
- Desalination Technologies
- Reverse Osmosis (RO)
- Distillation
- Input Water (Feedwater)
- Product Water
- Product Water Recovery
- Pretreatment Processes
- Filter Backwashing, Membrane Cleaning and Storage, Scaling Prevention and Removal, and Pipeline Cleaning
- Waste Discharges
- Energy Use
- Comparison of Distillation and Reverse Osmosis Technologies
- Costs of Desalinated Water
- Costs of Other Water Sources
Desalination Plants Worldwide
Of the more than 7,500 desalination plants in operation worldwide,
60% are located in the Middle East. The world's largest plant in
Saudi Arabia produces 128 MGD of desalted water. In contrast, 12% of the world's capacity is produced in the Americas, with most of the plants located in the Caribbean and Florida. To date, only a limited number of desalination plants have been built along the California coast, primarily because the cost of desalination is generally higher than the costs of other water supply alternatives available in California (e.g., water transfers and groundwater pumping). However, as drought conditions occur and concern over water availability increases,
desalination projects are being proposed at numerous locations in the state.
Desalination Technologies
Desalination is a process that removes dissolved minerals (including but not limited to salt) from seawater, brackish water, or treated wastewater. A number of technologies have been developed for desalination, including reverse osmosis (RO), distillation, electrodialysis, and vacuum freezing. Two of these technologies, RO and distillation, are being considered by municipalities, water districts, and private companies for development of seawater desalination in California. These methods are described below.
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/desalrpt/dchap1.html