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The desalination of ocean water or brackish groundwater is an alternative to obtaining water from fresh surface or groundwater sources, and could be used to replace the need for a water supply dam. Several different technologies exist to remove salt and other impurities from ocean water. Desalination is already used as a main source of potable water in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Middle East.[1]


The two most commonly used technologies are:

  • Reverse osmosis, which involves pushing water through a porous membrane that filters out salts and other impurities.

Using waste heat, for example from Concentrating Solar PowerDEPRECATED TEMPLATE - PLEASE USE {{W}} INSTEAD. (solar thermal) electricity generation, has been proposed as well: "there is also potential for the creation of fresh water by the desalination of sea water using the waste heat from CSP plants."[2]





  • Adverse environmental impacts:
    • Unless waste heat is used, desalination is very energy intensive.
    • Disposal of a large amount deoxygenated, highly concentrated saline byproduct into the ocean or estuarine ecosystem. This will naturally tend to flow along the ocean floor, and will potentially smother and kill any organism that requires oxygen. In a reverse osmosis plant, the volume of waste saline water is several times greater than the volume of fresh water produced.
  • Desalination plants can be costly to construct and operate.
  • The facilities require large amounts of land.[verification needed]



Desalination case study



Where you can go for help


  2. TREC-UK - the UK site of the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC), an initiative of the Club of Rome.
This article or section includes content from Original:Desalination plants by International Rivers Network. Used with permission.

See also