Over the past half century, reverse osmosis (RO) has grown from a nascent niche technology into the most versatile and effective desalination and advanced water treatment technology available. However, there remain certain challenges for improving the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of RO desalination plants in various applications. In low-pressure RO applications, both capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) costs are largely influenced by product water recovery, which is typically limited by mineral scale formation. In seawater applications, recovery tends to be limited by the salinity limits on brine discharge and cost is dominated by energy demand. The combination of water scarcity and sustainability imperatives, in many locations, is driving system designs towards minimal and zero liquid discharge (M/ZLD) for inland brackish water, municipal and industrial wastewaters, and even seawater desalination. Herein, we review the basic principles of RO processes, the state-of-the-art for RO membranes, modules and system designs as well as methods for concentrating and treating brines to achieve MLD/ZLD, resource recovery and renewable energy powered desalination systems. Throughout, we provide examples of installations employing conventional and some novel approaches towards high recovery RO in a range of applications from brackish groundwater desalination to oil and gas produced water treatment and seawater desalination.

This book is part of a series on sustainability. Specifically, it deals with the issue of sustainable water use. Fresh sources of potable water are being depleted across the world. Pure water is the goal of water utilities as well as several industries. Well past the experimental stage, membrane processes are now a proven and reliable method of providing high-quality, cost-effective water. Membrane technologies have immediate applications to treatment of fresh, brackish and sea waters, as well as wastewater reclamation. With innovative module design and engineering, micro- and ultra-filtrations have become effective and economical for drinking water production, particularly for removal of microorganisms. Membrane bioreactors are being developed for municipal and industrial water recycling. Various membrane processes are also used to remove contaminants from industrial wastewaters.This book covers the fundamental and practical concepts and issues regarding the application of membrane technologies for sustainable water treatment. It describes and compares the effectiveness of desalination versus water recycling for long-term sustainable water use. Describes the global water situation with respect to sustainability Emphasizes the role of membrane technologies Compares the strategies of water recycling and desalination

The pressure on available freshwater resources due to urbanization and climate change impacts is increasing worldwide; so follows the need to explore unconventional resources. Water reuse and desalination are viable options for alternative water supplies, also for regions that had no need to consider these approaches in the past. However, these solutions need to be tailored to local conditions, be balanced against conventional supply options while minimizing any adverse health and environmental impacts. There is increasing interest in developing new planning tools, technological solutions and approaches in this field to foster safe and economically viable water reuse and desalination applications. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) realized these needs at an early stage and launched the major funding initiative ‘WavE’ (www.bmbf-wave.de/en) in 2016 entitled ‘Future-oriented Technologies and Concepts to Increase Water Availability by Water Reuse and Desalination’ within the framework program ‘Research for Sustainable Development (FONA)’ and the research agenda on Green Economy. WavE is aimed at developing innovative technologies and management concepts to foster a sustainable increase in water availability. The aim is to provide sustainable solutions for national and international applications. This book reports research highlights from comprehensive research projects addressing contemporary approaches to evaluate new technologies and concepts in non-potable water reuse applications, multi-barrier concepts for potable and non-potable reuse applications, concepts for industrial reuse and resource recovery approaches for brine streams, as well as onsite desalination technologies for developing communities. In Focus – a book series that showcases the latest accomplishments in water research. Each book focuses on a specialist area with papers from top experts in the field. It aims to be a vehicle for in-depth understanding and inspire further conversations in the sector.

This book is part of a series on sustainability. Specifically, it deals with the issue of sustainable water use. Fresh sources of potable water are being depleted across the world. Pure water is the goal of water utilities as well as several industries. Well past the experimental stage, membrane processes are now a proven and reliable method of providing high-quality, cost-effective water. Membrane technologies have immediate applications to treatment of fresh, brackish and sea waters, as well as wastewater reclamation. With innovative module design and engineering, micro- and ultra-filtrations have become effective and economical for drinking water production, particularly for removal of microorganisms. Membrane bioreactors are being developed for municipal and industrial water recycling. Various membrane processes are also used to remove contaminants from industrial wastewaters. This book covers the fundamental and practical concepts and issues regarding the application of membrane technologies for sustainable water treatment. It describes and compares the effectiveness of desalination versus water recycling for long-term sustainable water use. - Describes the global water situation with respect to sustainability - Emphasizes the role of membrane technologies - Compares the strategies of water recycling and desalination

Sustainable Desalination Handbook: Plant Selection, Design and Implementation provides the comprehensive knowledge base required for efficient and sustainable process design for existing and new desalination plants around the world. This valuable resource for understanding and utilizing the most recent developments in desalination technologies and methods addresses the necessary components, including process design and implementation, operational strategies, and novel discoveries that minimize environmental impacts. In addition, the book features essential illustrations, operational details, issues and potential solutions and sustainable management strategies for present and future desalination plants. Explains plant design and process selection criteria for each desalination process Presents international regulations and permitting for intake and discharge locations, design and disposal Provides energy recovery schemes, optimization and process controls Covers renewable energy sources, such as nuclear, geothermal, solar and wind powered desalination, energy storage and optimization Includes case studies of recent desalination projects and process design

Desalination Sustainability: A Technical, Socioeconomic, and Environmental Approach presents a technical, socioeconomical, and environmental approach that guides researchers and technology developers on how to quantify the energy efficiency of a proposed desalination process using thermodynamics-based tools. The book offers the technical reader an understanding of the issues related to desalination sustainability. For example, technology users, such as public utility managers will gain the ability and tools to assess whether or not desalination is a good choice for a city or country. Readers will learn new insights on a clear and practical methodology on how to probe the economic feasibility of desalination using simple and effective tools, such as levelized cost of water (LCOW) calculation. Decision-makers will find this book to be a valuable resource for the preliminary assessment of whether renewable-powered desalination is a good choice for their particular setting. Presents the issues related to desalination sustainability Guides researchers and technology developers on how to quantify the energy efficiency of a proposed desalination process using thermodynamics-based tools Outlines a clear and practical methodology on how to probe the economic feasibility of desalination using simple and effective tools Provides a roadmap for decision-makers on the applicability of a desalination process at a particular setting

Seawater desalination is a coastal-based industry. The growing number of desalination plants worldwide and the increasing size of single facilities emphasises the need for greener desalination technologies and more sustainable desalination projects. Two complementing approaches are the development and implementation of best available technology (BA