Desalinated

Desalinated water refers to water produced by desalination, a process that removes salts and other impurities from saline water to make it suitable for drinking, irrigation, or industrial use. Desalinated water typically has very low total dissolved solids and often requires remineralization and disinfection before it meets drinking-water standards.

Common methods include thermal desalination, which uses heat to drive phase change through processes such as multi-stage flash or multi-effect distillation, and membrane desalination, in which semi-permeable membranes separate ions; reverse osmosis is the predominant technology, while electrodialysis is used mainly for brackish sources and lower salinity applications. Nanofiltration can be used as a pretreatment or for partial desalination.

Plant design and operation involve pretreatment to remove particulates, organics, and scale-forming minerals to protect equipment. Desalinated water is typically remineralized to meet taste and buffering requirements and disinfected before distribution. Brine byproducts are concentrated saline streams returned to the sea or disposed of by other means; some facilities explore dilution strategies or brine management to mitigate environmental impact.

Applications and regions describe how desalination supports urban water supply, industrial processes, and agricultural needs in water-scarce regions. It is particularly prominent in the Middle East and North Africa, Australia, parts of western North America, and other coastal or arid regions.

Considerations include that desalination is energy- and capital-intensive; costs depend on technology, plant size, energy prices, and feedwater salinity. Environmental concerns include energy use, chemical additives, and brine disposal. Ongoing research seeks to improve energy efficiency, reduce chemical needs, and integrate renewable energy sources.