What is Desalination?
Desalination is the process of turning bodies of salt water into freshwater by removing saline (salt). According to The U.S. Geological Survey: 1,000 ppm – 3,000 ppm is low salinity, 3,000 ppm – 10,000 ppm is moderate salinity, and 10,000 ppm – 35,000 ppm is high salinity. Water at a salinity level less than 1,000 ppm is usually considered fresh water and is safe for drinking and agriculture. For a better understanding, typical ocean water contains about 35,000 ppm and the Great Salt Lake (Utah, U.S) contains variations of 50,000 – 270,000 ppm. The more saline the water, the more effort and energy it takes to desalinize it.
There are many methods to desalinize water but the most commonly used methods are either a membrane process or a thermal process.
There are many methods to desalinize water but the most commonly used methods are either a membrane process or a thermal process.
Click the buttons below to explore the 2 different types of desalination