Present Global Water Crisis The World Watch Institute “State of the World 2000” report estimates that the world is depleting its available fresh water of aquifers and New Technology Desalinates Sea Water at lakes in excess of 160 billion tons (roughly 40,000 billion gallons) per year. Between 1900 and 1995 80 Percent Less Cost than Current Methods the rate of population growth rose two fold. Global water consumption grew six fold. Water use vs. population growth triples in growth due to the shift from agriculture to industrial economy. Increasing farming mechanization of undevel- oped countries fuels this escalating demand. One third of the world’s population lives in countries experiencing moderate to high water shortages. By 2025 more than two thirds (5.8 out of 8 bil- lion people) of the worlds population are expect- ed to suffer from water shortage. This will affect practically every country in the world including the United States. A 1997 United Nations assessment of fresh water resources found that the global water situa- Though water covers 70 percent of would be in the long-range inter- tion will get considerably wore over the next thir- the earth’s surface, supplies of potable ests of humanity and would ty years without major improvements in the way water are in crisis. According to World dwarf any other scientific accom- water is allocated and used. Lack of water for irri- Watch Institute’s “State of the World plishments,” he said. gation prevents many developing countries from 2000” report, we are draining our renew- The first new technology in being able to feed their population. Lack of clean able resources (lakes, rivers, aquafiers) in the field in twenty years, RSD is water brings disease, crippling parasites, blindness excess of 109 billion gallons per day. With based on the principle that salt- and starvation to large populations in Africa, the world running out of fresh water, water (or contaminated water) Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. demand for a cheaper way to transform can be ejected at high velocities The World Bank has estimated that the finan- saltwater into fresh has spurred the devel- so that, as rapid evaporation cial and environmental cost of tapping new sup- opment of a new technology by occurs, solids separate out and are plies will be on average two to three times those AquaSonics International, Inc., the Rapid trapped. The resulting vapor is existing investments because most of the low cost Spray Distillation (RSD) process, that condensed into pure water. water reserves have already been exploited. desalinates water at a fraction of the cost of According to AquaSonics current methods. International President and CEO Henry achieved by reverse osmosis and mulit- A world crisis foreseen forty years ago Lloyd, “An added benefit of the RSD flash. Three times the volume of fresh by President Kennedy has come to pass. “If process is that the salt precipitates out as a water is generated with one half the capital we could ever competitively, at a cheap solid and remains crystalline, reducing dis- equipment outlays and a fraction of the rate, get fresh water from salt water, that posal costs and providing commercially energy input. The projected impact on viable raw materials.” total costs would be to reduce the overall Percent Use of Various Desalination Technologies expenditure for RSD desalinated water Comparison to one-quarter the cost of current methods, Current Technologies making fresh water available where it is RSD technology achieves now scarce. in one step what current AquaSonics International Consultant methods of reverse osmosis James George, Canadian Ambassador to and multi-stage flash require India, Sri Lanka, (ret.) said, “Wars have multiple steps to accomplish. been and are being fought over water. A RSD is three times more plentiful supply would be crucial not only efficient in processing sea- for public health, but also for each coun- water, generating 95 percent try’s national security.” recovery of fresh water for every gallon of sea water For more information on this subject, compared with 36 percent circle 861 on the reader service card. 36 WATER Engineering & Management • JULY 2001 www.waterinfocenter.com.