Desalination

To cope with the rising demand for fresh water, desalination of brackish groundwater and seawater is increasingly being viewed as a pragmatic option for augmenting fresh water supplies. The large scale deployment of desalination is likely to demonstrably increase electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other pollutants. The widespread use of desalination also gives rise to the need for environmentally sensitive concentrate management practices. The coupling of desalination with renewable energy, the use of low-grade heat to drive thermal desalination, and increased operational efficiency are avenues to minimize the adverse impacts of desalination while meeting the need for fresh water.