The environmental impact of water intakes and discharges for desalination

Abstract

Desalination is a viable solution to meet the increasing demand for fresh water in coastal areas. However, the main challenges that affect desalination are its impact on the environment and energy consumption, which can lead to high costs. Direct seawater intake is the most commonly used extraction technique, but it has several drawbacks such as ecological impact, corrosion, fouling, intake clogging, operational hazards, and regulatory compliance. To minimize these challenges, boreholes for seawater collection have emerged as an alternative to direct seawater intake. The advantages of boreholes include reduced impact on marine life and the environment, consistent water quality, increased reliability, reduced maintenance costs, and avoidance of coastal modifications. The only disadvantage is that drilling wells for seawater extraction can be challenging if the permeability of the soil is low, which may result in a limited flow rate. Despite this, the use of boreholes for seawater collection can help minimize the impact of desalination plants on the marine environments and provide a reliable and consistent source of seawater for the desalination process.