How Desalination Has Changed in the U.S.

Two years ago, we took some time out to discuss the energy limitations and high cost of desalination plants on our blog. At the time, oil-rich nations in the Persian Gulf were the main proponents of these facilities, as it was too costly for the majority of countries to implements. To this day, desalinating seawater costs around five to 10 times more than drawing freshwater, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Despite these hurdles, and with an improvement in technology, there has been a boom in desalination plant construction in the U.S. In California alone, there are 17 plants in the planning stages—the biggest of these will cost $1 billion to build, service most of Southern California, and produce 50 million gallons of water a day.

For this particular application, the main factor driving this increase is the devastating drought that continues to ravage California. In fact the latest numbers show that 100 percent of the state is at least considered “abnormally dry,” according to a U.S. Drought Monitor. The desperate need for a reliable, and drought resistant, source of potable water is beginning to overwhelm the fear of high costs. And it is not only in California—it is the case all over the world.

By 2025, 800 million people will be water stressed. Experts are even forecasting that the global desalination market, currently worth $6 billion, will hit $15 billion by 2018.

At Fluidtrol, we keep up-to-date on the latest desalination technology because we understand that finding new sources of fresh water will be one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century. The entire Fluidtrol family firmly believes that our basket strainers and our other innovative products will play a critical role in bringing potable water to the entire world. To learn more about desalination you can always visit the International Desalination Association’s website or contact us at Fluidtrol today.