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Study: Desalination and Water Transfer Use More Energy

According to a new study, the use of desalination of seawater or brackish water, combined with long-haul transfer, would be a considerably more energy-intensive solution for supplying drinking water than conventional treatment.

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The inside of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant in El Paso on April 16, 2012.
Seen is the inside of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant on April 16, 2012. The $87 million facility produces 27.5 million gallons of water per day, making it the largest inland desalination plant in the world. Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune

According to a study published in the Texas Water Journal, the use of desalination of seawater or brackish water, combined with long-haul transfer, would be a considerably more energy-intensive solution for supplying drinking water than conventional treatment of local surface water sources. The researchers chose Dallas as their model for study, with seawater desalination near Houston and brackish groundwater desalination near Abilene as the potential sources. From an energy-use perspective, they concluded, desalination and long-haul transfer would also be less sustainable than water conservation.

 

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