Environmental Stewardship

IDRA seeks to encourage energy efficiency and environmental stewardship in desalination and water reuse solutions by brokering knowledge of the best available and most appropriate technologies and practices. With this goal, we encourage the examination of best practices, as well as available and future technologies, to address environmentally-related aspects of advanced water treatment solutions such as energy consumption, safeguarding of marine life, concentrate disposal, and promoting ways to mitigate potential environmental impacts of these technologies around the world. The IDRA Energy and Environment Committee presents a newly authored IDRA White Paper on how environmentally safe management of concentrate is one of the cornerstones of sustainable desalination. The paper addresses common myths and misconceptions associated with the impacts of concentrate on the aquatic environment and the industry’s experience and track record.

Myths and Misconceptions

In spite of proactive outreach, some myths and misperceptions about desalination persist. In my opinion, the following are the most common myths and misconceptions about the environmental impacts of desalination.

Fact

In fact, the brine consists of the same salts that are diluted or dispersed in the discharge points – but more concentrated.

Fact

Desalination today is one of the most efficient energy technologies, where seawater Reverse Osmosis (SWRO) can consume only less than 3.5 kWh/m3 and Multi-Effect Distillation (MED) consumes only .9 kWh/m3 of electric power and is able to produce 15 tons of distillate per ton of steam

Fact

In normal operation, chemicals and other products are biodegradable and are not discharged to the sea.

Fact

Today and in the future, desalination will move from fossil energy sources to renewable energy, wind, solar, geothermal.

Fact

Several studies in different parts of the world have demonstrated the lack of impact in the marine environment if the good practices are followed.

IDRA Environment and Energy Committee Expert Viewpoints on Environmental Stewardship

No experts found.

Scientific and Academic Research on Impacts of Desalination on Marine Environment

There are several options that can be employed to reduce the impact of concentrate, or brine discharge that results from the desalting process, and new technologies offer the promise of further reductions. These options include multi-port diffusers, co-location with facilities to blended discharges with cooling water and treated wastewater effluent; deep well injection; evaporation and salt/mineral recovery; and many new technologies for green solutions minimizing or eliminating chemical use, reaching high recovery allowing Minimum Liquid Discharge (MLD) or Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).