What is Ocean Desalination?
• Ocean desalination is the process of converting seawater into drinking water. Fresh water is separated from the salty ocean water and used for drinking and other potable water uses. The remaining salts and impurities are then discharged as brine. • There are two main methods for producing desalinated water: distillation and reverse osmosis. • Distillation is the oldest desalination process and has been used throughout the world for centuries. Distillation uses heat to evaporate water and separate it from salt and impurities. The evaporated water is captured and condensed as fresh water. The process is energy-intensive and used primarily in the Middle East and other oil-rich areas of the world. • Reverse osmosis uses membranes to separate fresh water from seawater. Ocean water is forced at very high pressures through a series of membranes, which allow water molecules to pass but not salts and other impurities. The remaining salts and residual water are discharged as brine, typically i
