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<br />USBRIMWD SALINITY MANAGEMENT STUDY <br />FINAL REPORT <br /> <br />w <br />en <br />r~J <br />(J1 <br /> <br />a material that enables the successful removal of TDS because of its high surface area, <br />optimum pore size and low electrical resistivity. Carbon aerogels offer advantages when <br />compared to other water purification methods because no membranes, distillation columns <br />or thermal heaters are required. Consequently, the overall process is more energy <br />efficient. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />Pretreatment Options <br />All desalination technologies require a 'pretreatment" step to condition the water. <br />Conventional drinking water treatment plants and microfiltration will be investigated as <br />possible pretreatment options for desalination. Metropolitans conventional treatment <br />plants produce water of extremely high quality and since staff and infrastructure are <br />already in place, they could be ideal locations for salinity removal facilities. According to <br />in-house estimates, the use of existing conventional treatment plants for pretreatment <br />could cut overall desalting costs by 46 percent. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Brine Treatment and Disposal <br />An unwanted byproduct of desalination is brine, brine consists of highly concentrated salt <br />water and presents a disposal problem. In order for carbon aerogel or membrane . <br />technologies to be a viable tool for Colorado River water desalination, brine volume must <br />be minimized, or possibly reduced to a solid material. The partnership will investigate . <br />innovative brine treatment and disposal options such as gas-fired distillation, freeze-thaw <br />technology and evaporation ponds. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Economies of Scale <br />Membrane technology is generally reserved for small-scale applications due to the <br />prohibitive cost associated with large membrane plants. Currently, the largest drinking <br />water membrane plants are between 10 to 20 million gallons per day (with a few <br />exceptions). Additional research is needed before a 100 to 200 million gallon per day <br />membrane plant is practical. The partnership will evaluate different membrane module <br />configurations and new large-diameter membrane elements to take advantage of <br />economies of scale. <br /> <br />The Future of Desalination <br />Advances in TDS removal may help to alleviate the economic problems associated with <br />using Colorado River water, as well as aid in treating brackish groundwater, reclaimed <br />water and agricultural drainage. For instance, an estimated 16 million acre-feet of <br />currently non-usable brackish water lies beneath the ground in Southern California. <br />Alone, this water is enough to supply the states entire 32 million people with drinking <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />BOOKMAN-EDMONSTON <br />ENGINEERING, INC. 3-20 <br />O:\LOCAlRESIANDYSISAlIN/TY\IUNE98-2\7SECT3,DOC 07120/9810:59 AM <br /> <br />Section 3 <br />Evaluation of Potential Regional <br />Salinity Management Strategies <br />