water can be separated from a liquid composition , such as salt water , by directing a flow of a carrier gas through at least one evaporator and directly contacting the carrier gas flow with the liquid composition in the evaporator to humidify the carrier gas with water evaporated from the liquid composition , producing a humidified gas flow . the humidified gas flow is then compressed by injecting a fluid that includes steam and / or an organic compound at an elevated pressure at least five times greater than the pressure in the evaporator and at a temperature at least as high as a saturation temperature of the steam / organic compound at the elevated pressure of the fluid . after being compressed , the humidified gas flow is directed through at least one condenser where water is condensed from the compressed humidified gas flow and collected . the dehumidified gas flow is re - circulated from the condenser back through the evaporator , where the dehumidified gas is reused as the carrier gas .