America’s Authority in Membrane Treatment Future of Desalination in the United States As the nation’s population grows and industrial development expands, our domestic need for reliable water supplies continues to become increasingly critical. As municipal, industrial, and agricultural demand for fresh water increases, the quality and availability of traditional water sources continues to decline, while the cost of developing new supplies continues to rise.

San Diego Water Authority Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, Carlsbad, CA water desalination offers a vast water reliable source of fresh water. source in seemingly unlimited quantities Improvements in membrane technology in the United States. Over three-quarters over the last several decades have of the earth’s surface is covered by water resulted in membrane technologies that is too salty to sustain human life or surpassing thermal processes in farming. Many water stressed areas also worldwide desalting capacity. This Seawater desalination facilities in California are have access to moderately salty, brackish trend will continue as membrane employing beach wells to reduce pretreatment water or wastewater supplies with efficiencies further improve and as requirements and improve plant efficiency. elevated levels of dissolved solids. desalination membranes are applied in Membrane desalting, or desalination, an increasing array of water supply and creates new freshwater supplies by treatment applications. The United Nations World Water separating water from salt and other Development Report has projected that dissolved minerals in sea water, brackish 75 percent of the world’s population water or wastewater. Other contaminants, could face a water scarcity crisis by such as dissolved metals, pathogens, 2050, including many parts of the organic matter (including trace organic United States. Traditional surface water compounds), dissolved inorganics (such development sites, such as dams, as arsenic, nitrate, selenium), and reservoirs and aqueducts, are being radionuclides, are also removed by exhausted and many proposed projects membrane desalination methods. are no longer feasible due to significant environmental concerns or the high The United States currently has over capital investments required. While 1,400 installed desalination plants with The use of Desalination has grown dramatically since the conservation has been effective at the majority being used to desalt 1970 invention of the thin film composite RO Membrane. reducing demands in many areas, there brackish groundwater. In the future, are limitations in the amount of water membrane desalting will continue expanding, utilizing alternative water Past Research Funding and that can be conserved, and sources of Technological Advances new water supplies will continue to be supplies to meet growing freshwater needed in the foreseeable future. needs. The desalination process dates back to the 4th century BC when Greek sailors Desalination technologies provide an Desalination Across the Globe developed an evaporative process to opportunity to tap what would In 2017, desalting plants worldwide had desalinate readily available seawater otherwise be unsuitable water supplies, the capacity to produce over 24 billion into safe drinking water. Desalting such as ocean water, brackish gallons of freshwater per day, with 59 increased dramatically in the last half of groundwater, and wastewater effluent, to percent of these plants using seawater the 20th century, enabling regions with augment diminishing freshwater or ocean water as their feedwater limited or no freshwater supplies to supplies and provide a sustainable source. In many arid areas of the world, grow and flourish. water source to meet water needs. Ocean desalted water provides the only • Industries will increase the use of and permitting continues for new membrane technology to remove seawater desalination facilities in impurities in the water used in their California, Texas, and Florida, intake operations, to remove potentially and discharge strategies are being toxic contaminants in their effluent, and explored to minimize the plant’s impact for production of ultrapure water. Novel on the marine environment. desalination technologies, such as Need for Additional Research forward osmosis and membrane distillation, will expand their role in Continued advancements in membrane addressing industrial desalination needs. technology will help ensure that desalination reaches its full potential in • Large scale potable reuse facilities will helping the nation meet its growing Innovations in membrane design, such as this 16-inch move forward over the next 10-20 years, water needs in the face of increasing configuration at a potable reuse facility, are creating employing desalination technologies to water scarcity. To meet these more efficient designs and lower treatment costs. produce safe drinking water from challenges, there is a need to continue wastewater supplies. Currently only 7% direct federal support of desalination Many of the advances in desalination of wastewater in the United States is and other membrane research, technologies in the past several decades reused and only a small portion of this is development, and demonstration were made possible by generous US for potable uses. projects. Federal funding in support of government research funding. One of • Desalination will be increasingly research and development will not only the most concentrated efforts was the employed at inland locations with benefit all users of desalting technology creation of the Office of Saline Water advancements in high recovery RO and in the US, but will also improve the (OSW) in the early 1950’s and its zero liquid discharge allowing improved competitiveness of US firms overseas. successor organizations like the Office concentrate management alternatives. While membrane-based desalination of Water Research and Technology originated in the US, and major (OWRT). From its inception in the • The number of seawater desalination advancements continue to be made by early 1950’s through its termination in facilities will expand in the United US companies, a continued national 1982, when most federal desalting States as improvements in energy focus is critical to maintaining our research was discontinued, the US efficiency, energy recovery, and leadership within this growing and government actively funded research, renewable energy supplies continue. essential industry. |development, and demonstration projects, allocating about $900 million (in 1985 dollars) in the process. This funding supported much of the fundamental investigation and research This material has been prepared as an of a variety of innovative technologies educational tool by the American Membrane for desalting seawater and brackish water. Most importantly, these Technology Association (AMTA). It is programs were primarily responsible designed for dissemination to the public to for the development of reverse osmosis further the understanding of the contribution by US researchers, resulting in a that membrane water treatment technologies groundbreaking technological can make toward improving the quality of advancement that was exported around Inland desalination is becoming common in the US, the world and revolutionized saline with an increasing focus on concentrate water supplies in the US and throughout the water treatment on a global scale. Many management and disposal alternatives. world. advances in distillation technologies Implementation Challenges were developed, as well. While membrane desalination For more information, please contact: Future Prospects for Desalting in the US technologies are in use across the • Membrane technology will be nation, key implementation challenges American Membrane Technology increasingly employed in ocean remain. As plant capacities increase, Association (AMTA) concentrate management is becoming water, brackish groundwater, and 2409 SE Dixie Highway recycled wastewater treatment increasingly important, particularly for facilities as membrane technologies inland locations where cost-effective Stuart, Florida 34996 concentrate reduction and disposal continue to improve and water supply Phone: (772) 463-0820 needs become increasingly critical. alternatives are needed. Regulations and permitting strategies for potable Fax: (772) 463-0860 • Nanofiltration membranes will be reuse are under development in increasingly used to remove taste, numerous states, and these will Email: [email protected] odor, and dissolved organic material in ultimately enable the validation of or visit our website at: drinking water and for water softening. significant pathogen removal with integrity testing techniques applied to www.amtaorg.com

desalination membranes. As planning (FS-11) Sept. 2018