A desalination guide for South African municipal engineers

Abstract

Municipalities need to develop Water Services Development Plans (WSDPs) as a first requirement in their budgetary process, and need to be made aware of the options that are available to provide more than basic services. While 25ℓ/person·d has been set as the minimum basic water supply and while many consumers receive far in excess of this amount, there are areas of the country where water of acceptable quality is not available for household use. However, in many areas adequate quantities of saline water may be, or are, readily available. This is especially the case for coastal cities and towns. The cost of treating water is only part of the total cost of making drinking water available to the consumer. This together with the fact that membrane technology is becoming more affordable and that energy can be recovered, makes the desalina tion of water viable for domestic purposes.

Authors

Categories