Time to consider water desalination plants
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
No, don't take us literally! Humans cannot drink saline water. But, saline water can be made into freshwater, which everyone needs everyday. The process is called desalination, and it is being used more and more around the world to provide people with needed freshwater. Most of the United States has, or can gain access to, ample supplies of fresh water for drinking purposes. But, fresh water can be in short supply in some parts of that country (and world). And, as the population continues to grow, the shortage of fresh water will occur more often, if only in certain locations. In some areas, salt water (from the ocean, for instance) is being turned into freshwater for drinking.
A promising method of desalinating seawater is the "reverse osmosis". Right now, the cost of desalination has kept it from being used more often, as it can cost over $1,000 to desalinate per acre-food of seawater as compared to about $200 per acre-foot of water from normal supply sources. But desalination technology is improving and costs are falling, though, and Tampa Bay, Florida is currently desalinating water at a cost of only $650 per acre foot. As both the demand for fresh water and technology increase, you can expect to see more desalination occurring, especially in areas, such as California and the Middle East.
Time is ripe also to start considering the establishment of desalination plants in Bangladesh as our rivers are experiencing leaner and more polluted flows and it is proving to be too dangerous to encourage free style lifting of underground water that may cause land subsidence.
Sooner rather than later Bangladesh has to look to the ocean to get large scale supply of water through desalination. The faster works start in this direction, the better for the water security of the country even in the short term. Bangladesh should start knocking at the doors of the World Bank and other donors to line up funds for the early establishment of such desalination plants.
Ruhul Quddus
New Eskaton, Dhaka
A promising method of desalinating seawater is the "reverse osmosis". Right now, the cost of desalination has kept it from being used more often, as it can cost over $1,000 to desalinate per acre-food of seawater as compared to about $200 per acre-foot of water from normal supply sources. But desalination technology is improving and costs are falling, though, and Tampa Bay, Florida is currently desalinating water at a cost of only $650 per acre foot. As both the demand for fresh water and technology increase, you can expect to see more desalination occurring, especially in areas, such as California and the Middle East.
Time is ripe also to start considering the establishment of desalination plants in Bangladesh as our rivers are experiencing leaner and more polluted flows and it is proving to be too dangerous to encourage free style lifting of underground water that may cause land subsidence.
Sooner rather than later Bangladesh has to look to the ocean to get large scale supply of water through desalination. The faster works start in this direction, the better for the water security of the country even in the short term. Bangladesh should start knocking at the doors of the World Bank and other donors to line up funds for the early establishment of such desalination plants.
Ruhul Quddus
New Eskaton, Dhaka