Desalination
desalination: an ocean of opportunitY
Water may cover 71% of the Earth’s surface, but is it actually in abundance? Looking at the numbers: Roughly 97% exists in oceans as saltwater and 3% elsewhere as freshwater. Glaciers and ice caps lock 79% of that non-saline water, while another 20% rests beneath the ground. We access the remaining 1% of freshwater through rivers, lakes, soil, and living organisms. So the question remains: is water actually in abundance?
Desalination, or the process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater, has been a popular solution for already arid but energy rich regions of the world such as the Middle East and Northern Africa. The current process most widely in use involves pumping huge amounts of saltwater through filtering membranes at a high pressure to create drinkable water.
Fueled by rapid industrialization, growing populations, and the depletion of freshwater bodies, the market for desalination will only continue to grow. And as desalinated water becomes more affordable, its use is sure to expand — whether that constitutes full or supplementary reliance. Yet, there is an important baseline that exists no matter how low energy costs may be at any given time: seawater desalination as a whole will always be relatively expensive.