GREEN TECH
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS TO CURB CONCERNS There ’ s little doubt that cities at risk of severe droughts and limited fresh water supply will utilize these plants as a method to provide for human needs despite the financial , energy and ecological effects . There are an estimated 13,000 desalination plants across the globe , with about 300 such plants already available in the United States . These plants can produce a large amount of fresh water , and technology now allows for this once hard-to-clean water to be alkaline-balanced enough to meet governmental requirements . Other advancements in methodology and technology throughout the years are helping to make desalination a more viable option .
Thermal desalination in 1972 was the only method used at the time and cost as much as USD $ 9.00 per 1,000 gallons of water while in 2010 , the use of reverse osmosis cost less than USD $ 3.00 per 1,000 gallons , according to Water Reuse Association . Older methods required the boiling of water to create this reaction , which was too expensive in terms of energy use ; today , however , low-temperature thermal desalination
With 15 plant locations in consideration along California ’ s coast , the implementation of desalination is almost inevitable
12 August 2015