Desalination

Desalination removes dissolved salts and other minerals from water to make it suitable for uses such as drinking, irrigation, or industry.

Reverse osmosis: A membrane process that uses pressure to move water from a saline solution while retaining most dissolved salts. It is the leading membrane method for desalinating seawater and brackish water.
Seawater desalination: The production of fresh water by removing salts from ocean water. It addresses coastal freshwater shortages where seawater is abundant.
Brine: A concentrated salt solution left after water is separated from a saline feed. Desalination produces brine that must be managed or discharged.
Water conservation: Practices that reduce water use or avoid unnecessary loss. Conservation can meet demand without producing new freshwater from saline sources.
Levelized cost of water: An average cost per unit of water that accounts for project expenses over its lifetime. It helps compare desalination plants with other supply options on a common basis.
Multi-stage flash distillation: A thermal desalination process in which heated saline water flashes into vapor across successive chambers at decreasing pressure. It separates fresh vapor from salt through repeated pressure-driven evaporation.
Brackish water: Water with more dissolved salts than freshwater but less than seawater. Its lower salinity often makes treatment less energy-intensive than seawater desalination.
Energy intensity: The amount of energy required to produce a unit of a product or service. Energy use strongly influences desalinated water's cost and emissions.
Wastewater reuse: The treatment and use of wastewater for beneficial purposes. Reuse can expand supply without relying on seawater or brackish water.
Renewable energy: Energy from sources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and hydropower. Renewable power could reduce desalination's dependence on fossil fuels.

Linked from 46 pages