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Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of desalination?
What is the primary goal of desalination?
Who officially opened the plant on June 21, 1961?
Who officially opened the plant on June 21, 1961?
When did the U.S. Congress pass 'The Saline Water Act' to support desalination?
When did the U.S. Congress pass 'The Saline Water Act' to support desalination?
What is the main goal of converting water from oceans into freshwater according to President Kennedy's speech?
What is the main goal of converting water from oceans into freshwater according to President Kennedy's speech?
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Which government department provided funding for the initial development of desalination technology in the 1950s and 60s?
Which government department provided funding for the initial development of desalination technology in the 1950s and 60s?
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Where was one of the first seawater desalination demonstration plants built in the United States in 1961?
Where was one of the first seawater desalination demonstration plants built in the United States in 1961?
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Which technology involves the heating of saline water to produce pure water?
Which technology involves the heating of saline water to produce pure water?
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What is the primary purpose of desalination technologies?
What is the primary purpose of desalination technologies?
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Which company, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Interior, built a seawater desalination plant in Freeport, Texas in 1961?
Which company, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Interior, built a seawater desalination plant in Freeport, Texas in 1961?
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Where does the U.S. rank globally in terms of desalination plant capacity?
Where does the U.S. rank globally in terms of desalination plant capacity?
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Study Notes
- Desalination is the process of removing salts from water and is used in municipal, industrial, and commercial applications.
- Development of desalination technology began during World War II due to limited fresh water supplies and the passing of "The Saline Water Act" in 1952.
- The first seawater desalination demonstration plant in the United States was built in Freeport, Texas in 1961, producing 1 million gallons per day (mgd).
- Desalination technologies can be broadly classified into thermal and membrane types.
- Thermal technologies involve heating saline water to produce distillate, while membrane technologies use pressure to separate salts from water.
- As of early 2000, the global desalination capacity was about 7 billion gallons per day (bgd), with thermal processes accounting for 50% and membrane technologies for 50%.
- Desalination capacity increased by about 12% per year from 1972 to 1999 and there have been over 8,600 desalination plants installed worldwide, with approximately 20% in the U.S.
- Thermal desalination technologies involve heating saline water to produce distillate, but are rarely used for brackish water due to high energy consumption.
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Description
Explore the fundamentals and history of desalination, a process that removes salts from water. Learn about its applications in municipal, industrial, and commercial sectors, and how advancements in technology have made desalination processes more cost-competitive.
