Drought and Desalination 2

Some people are saying the the answer to severe drought is Ocean water desalination. My opinion is that we need to look at other options before we take such an extreme step.

Desalination plants are expensive to build and operate. They require a huge amount of energy to run. There is also the issue of reject water. Desalination plants must reject water that has highly concentrated salt levels. This carries environmental concerns and cannot just be easily discharged back to the ocean. This would hurt animal and plant life. Because of this, some proponents are suggesting that less salty sources of water be considered for desalination / treatment like river water.

I suggest that before politicians make any quick decisions they look at all the options available for each drought area. Minimizing or eliminating contamination and water reuse need to be looked at first.

Dave Berridge of Middletown NJ has worked for Rochester Midland, Nalco, and Betz.