Desalination Resources

71. Has Fracking Gone ‘Green’? 6/6/2014

    There are few topics more controversial these days than hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"). While the debate rages on as to whether fracking poses a risk to water quality, a new desalination technique addresses two other environmental concerns: water scarcity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the breakthrough technology uses excess carbon dioxide created in the fracking process to desalinate the process water, making it available for water reuse. It also generates chemicals — hydrochloric acid and carbonate salts — that are valuable for many industrial applications.

72. Membrane Masters: Learning From The Best 5/23/2014

    After more than 50 years of development, it seems membrane technology is ready for liftoff.

73. Looking To Singapore For Water Scarcity Solutions 5/1/2014

    As the U.S. struggles with water scarcity in California, Nevada, Texas, and other western communities, finding a solution that will work for every state and every industry seems nearly impossible.

74. Understanding The Critical Relationship Between Reverse Osmosis Recovery Rates And Concentration Factors 4/28/2014

    Every aspect of a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane operation requires some degree of process math. Changes in operating conditions that may be considered minor can actually have significant and detrimental effects on system performance.  This is certainly the case when calculating system recovery rates, and the subsequent changes in concentration factors, in RO plant operation.

75. Can Co-Locating Utilities Solve The Water-Energy Nexus? 4/21/2014

    Resources being a scarce commodity, it’s incumbent upon us to optimize the use of water and energy as best we can. While conservation is the prime course of action for the public, the best solution for utilities may be to work smarter — by having the water-energy nexus work for us instead of against us.

76. Waste Heat Recovery For Desalination From Steam Power Plants 4/17/2014

    Currently, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia about 1.5 million barrels of oil are consumed daily to generate electricity to drive reverse osmosis desalination plants.  This represents about 15 percent of KSA’s daily oil production. 

77. New Technologies Set To 'Disrupt' The Industry 2/24/2014

    For the unfamiliar, the term “disruptive technology” initially sounds quite bad, as though it describes something that gets in the way. Far from impeding progress, however, disruptive technologies actually accelerate progress exponentially by disrupting the status quo. Think personal computers vs. mainframes, or cell phones vs. land lines.

78. One Water: A Holistic Approach To Water Management 2/4/2014

    So far, water utilities have been successful in keeping up with regulations and maintenance, despite stagnant funding and uncertainty about when infrastructure could fail altogether. But the staggering cost to contend with these issues forces a new paradigm — how to best manage the ever-increasing demands on our water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure with fewer dollars.

79. Desalination And Power Plants—An Ideal Partnership? 1/14/2014

    A partnership between power and desalination plants may be the solution to drinking water scarcity. Researchers are working on a new system that can create potable water using a low-temperature desalination process powered by waste heat from a waterless power plant cooling system. 

80. Is This The Future Of RO? 12/11/2013

    A Q&A with Richard Stover, executive VP of Desalitech, discussing a reverse osmosis (RO) innovation that greatly increases recovery rates and overall efficiency, while also enhancing flexibility and reliability.