Why Desalination Doesn't Work (Yet)
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
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From: Clearwater, Fl
Why Desalination Doesn't Work (Yet)
http://www.livescience.com/environme...membranes.html
Currently, between 10 and 13 billion gallons of water are desalinated worldwide per day. That's only about 0.2 percent of global water consumption, but the number is increasing.
A typical American uses 80 to 100 gallons of water a day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The entire country consumes about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and another 84.5 billion gallons of ground water.
here in florida, alot of areas use reclaimed water, for watering needs, etc....its still not enough though.
and it urks me because were under some watering restrictions, and people dont follow it.
they have the mentality that, its just a little watering wont hurt
Currently, between 10 and 13 billion gallons of water are desalinated worldwide per day. That's only about 0.2 percent of global water consumption, but the number is increasing.
A typical American uses 80 to 100 gallons of water a day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The entire country consumes about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and another 84.5 billion gallons of ground water.
here in florida, alot of areas use reclaimed water, for watering needs, etc....its still not enough though.
and it urks me because were under some watering restrictions, and people dont follow it.
they have the mentality that, its just a little watering wont hurt
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: North of Boston MA
Here in MA you have to design sewer/septic systems for 110 gallons per person per day but you have to waste a lot of water to come anywhere close to that usage.
Some of the problems that I see with water usage is the amount we insist on wasting - and not even intentionally. For example, if we get a couple inches of rain, just the water that falls on a 2000 s.f. roof is somewhere around 2500 gallons. Store that and water your lawn or your garden for a month.
If even a small percentage of the water that falls on impervious area were captured and stored instead of just directed toward the nearest river or ocean then we wouldn't see nearly the water problems we currently have. There is plenty of water in most places, it just isn't harvested very well.
As for desalinization, it is very energy intensive. But I don't think we are far away from seeing more of it, especially for those of us near the ocean. A nuclear powered water desalinization plant would be just the ticket.
Some of the problems that I see with water usage is the amount we insist on wasting - and not even intentionally. For example, if we get a couple inches of rain, just the water that falls on a 2000 s.f. roof is somewhere around 2500 gallons. Store that and water your lawn or your garden for a month.
If even a small percentage of the water that falls on impervious area were captured and stored instead of just directed toward the nearest river or ocean then we wouldn't see nearly the water problems we currently have. There is plenty of water in most places, it just isn't harvested very well.
As for desalinization, it is very energy intensive. But I don't think we are far away from seeing more of it, especially for those of us near the ocean. A nuclear powered water desalinization plant would be just the ticket.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: in the woods of MA
I've had an idea for a while - it's probably not practical or someone would have done it, but...
Setup solar or wind powered electrolysis plants to separate hydrogen and oxygen from seawater. In doing that, saltwater helps as it lowers resistance to the current required for the electrolysis.
Pipe and store the O2 an H, and then when the energy is needed, burn them to produce heat for steam, or whatever.
End product of the combustion? Fresh water...
As I say, probably not practical, but that's the type of outside the box systems we need to get us out of the oil rut we're in...
Setup solar or wind powered electrolysis plants to separate hydrogen and oxygen from seawater. In doing that, saltwater helps as it lowers resistance to the current required for the electrolysis.
Pipe and store the O2 an H, and then when the energy is needed, burn them to produce heat for steam, or whatever.
End product of the combustion? Fresh water...
As I say, probably not practical, but that's the type of outside the box systems we need to get us out of the oil rut we're in...
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Lakewood, Ca.
There is an alternative desalination technology being tested out here by the City of Long Beach. No electricity is used for desalination(other than to pump the water). It was developed by an employee of the City, and is nothing more than a filtering process. The drawback at this point is simply moving any great quantity of water through the process quickly. You will see this technology before long.
Salinity will become an increasing problem with Colorado River water as well as other water taken from irrigated land in the west.
Salinity will become an increasing problem with Colorado River water as well as other water taken from irrigated land in the west.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,004
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From: North of Boston MA
There is no doubt that desalination works. It is done all the time on ships. Where there is no source of fresh (non-salt) water then salt water desalination is your only option. It is still very expensive. Whether done by reverse osmosis or distilling.
If I remember what I once read correctly, Bermuda collects as much rainwater as they can and use it for drinking. In an area with sufficient rainfall, that's about the cheapest water you can get - all you need is a place to store it. Let mother nature provide the energy for desalination.
If I remember what I once read correctly, Bermuda collects as much rainwater as they can and use it for drinking. In an area with sufficient rainfall, that's about the cheapest water you can get - all you need is a place to store it. Let mother nature provide the energy for desalination.
Post Fiend
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it is expensive, and water is still not scarce enough for anyone to fund such a program.
but good news is they will wait until people really need it then start constructing instead just avoiding the scarcity problem all together.
they really need to cut down on water use throughout the US. a lot of water is wated on things. plus every house should come with a water collector so that can be used also.
i would hate for our future generations to get to the critical point on water, having to decide whether to water crops or have it to drink and take a shower.
but good news is they will wait until people really need it then start constructing instead just avoiding the scarcity problem all together.
they really need to cut down on water use throughout the US. a lot of water is wated on things. plus every house should come with a water collector so that can be used also.
i would hate for our future generations to get to the critical point on water, having to decide whether to water crops or have it to drink and take a shower.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: in the woods of MA
When I was a kid living near Cincinnati, our house had a large patio off one end with a cement floor. That floor was really the top of a cistern that the gutters all drained into. That's where we got our water.
Of course that was around 1960 - today you'd probably need a $100K water purification system to clean up the crap that falls out of the sky as rain...
Of course that was around 1960 - today you'd probably need a $100K water purification system to clean up the crap that falls out of the sky as rain...
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Wyoming
Originally Posted by SteveBricks
There is an alternative desalination technology being tested out here by the City of Long Beach. No electricity is used for desalination(other than to pump the water). It was developed by an employee of the City, and is nothing more than a filtering process. The drawback at this point is simply moving any great quantity of water through the process quickly. You will see this technology before long.
Salinity will become an increasing problem with Colorado River water as well as other water taken from irrigated land in the west.
Salinity will become an increasing problem with Colorado River water as well as other water taken from irrigated land in the west.
As for the future ofColorado river water, people need to stop moving to the desert.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5,946
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From: in the woods of MA
Originally Posted by spikedog
As for the future of Colorado river water, people need to stop moving to the desert.
From my personal point of view, the more that leave here and move there, the better!
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