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Sea Water ( Desalination)

sea water desalination, reverse osmosis

Sea Water Desalination

Salt water (seawater) has a high level of salt content, hence its name.  If the salinity (measure of salt content) of water is between 3% and 5% it is considered salt water.  The salinity in salt water differs around the world.  This is because there is mixing of fresh water from river mouths and melting glaciers which can make seawater less saline.  If there is less mixture of fresh water due to low precipitation or river inflow it can be expected that there would be higher salinity.  This is the case with the Red Sea which has 4.5% salinity.  Australian waters differ according to where you are, but the average salinity is 3.56%.

Water Shortages

Australia recently underwent some major changes in how water is used.  Tough water restrictions were introduced because there was a water shortage.  Being the driest inhabited continent, Australia will continue to face water shortages.  This can be difficult to understand as Australia is surrounded by water.  But as we mentioned earlier the water surrounding Australia is high in salinity and so unfit for human consumption.

Enviro Concepts, desalination, desalinaiton plant

 

Desalination

How can Australians utilise the water that is in abundance around us?  The answer is sea water desalination.  Desalination can work in a few ways, through distillation and reverse osmosis.  Distillation boils the water to separate the salt from fresh water and uses a lot of energy.  Reverse osmosis uses high pressure to push salt water through a semi permeable membrane to separate the water from the dissolved salts.  Reverse Osmosis typically uses less energy than distillation.

Reverse Osmosis Desalination is an option for use in homes, schools, municipalities, commercial applications, industrial plants, on ships, practically anywhere.  The size and the plant specifications need to meet the needs of the user.  We at Enviro Concepts are willing and available to discuss how you can meet your needs for desalination.  Contact us and we can find the best solution for you.