Water is essential to life. The importance of securing water supply can hardly be overstressed. In the United States, desalination and membrane technologies are used to extend municipal water supply, produce high-quality industrial water supplies, and reclaim contaminated supplies. Wider adoption of desalination is constrained by financial, environmental, and regulatory issues. Although desalination costs have dropped steadily in recent decades, further decline may not happen with existing technologies.
At issue is the federal role that Congress should be in to support desalination and membrane technology research and facilities. Desalination issues before the 113th Congress include how to focus federal research, at what level to support …show more content…
In particular, the competitiveness of reverse osmosis seawater desalination is highly dependent on the price of electricity. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane to separate the freshwater from the salts; this requires considerable energy input. Electricity expenses represent one-third to one-half of the operating cost of many desalination technologies. The energy intensity of some technologies raises concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the usefulness of these technologies for climate change adaptation. (Park, Seok-Min, Kwang-Seok) Concerns also remain about the technologies’ environmental impacts, such as saline waste concentrate management and disposal and the effect of surface water intake facilities on aquatic organisms. (Carter)Construction of desalination facilities, like many other types of projects, often requires a significant number of local, state, and federal approvals and permits. A rise in electricity prices could reverse the declining trend in desalination costs; similarly, drops in electricity costs will improve desalination’s competitiveness. Costs and cost uncertainties remain among the more significant challenges to implementing large-scale desalination facilities, especially seawater desalination
At issue is the federal role that Congress should be in to support desalination and membrane technology research and facilities. Desalination issues before the 113th Congress include how to focus federal research, at what level to support …show more content…
In particular, the competitiveness of reverse osmosis seawater desalination is highly dependent on the price of electricity. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane to separate the freshwater from the salts; this requires considerable energy input. Electricity expenses represent one-third to one-half of the operating cost of many desalination technologies. The energy intensity of some technologies raises concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and the usefulness of these technologies for climate change adaptation. (Park, Seok-Min, Kwang-Seok) Concerns also remain about the technologies’ environmental impacts, such as saline waste concentrate management and disposal and the effect of surface water intake facilities on aquatic organisms. (Carter)Construction of desalination facilities, like many other types of projects, often requires a significant number of local, state, and federal approvals and permits. A rise in electricity prices could reverse the declining trend in desalination costs; similarly, drops in electricity costs will improve desalination’s competitiveness. Costs and cost uncertainties remain among the more significant challenges to implementing large-scale desalination facilities, especially seawater desalination