Veolia Water Technologies by GineersNow Engineering Magazine GineersNow Engineering Magazine September 2016 | Page 63

Overuse of Desalination
Plants
Photo by: thenational
Ras Al Khair Desalination Plant, Saudi Arabia
Photo by: susris
Drilling for Water in the Jordanian Desert
Photo by: bund
In the Middle East, desalination
plants are overusing water
resources. Seventy percent
of the world’s desalination
plants are found in this area—
most of which are found in
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Though these desalination
plants produce water that
is needed by this region,
they could cause health
problems and pollution in the
environment.
The seawater that is mostly
used in desalination plants
have high doses of boron
and bromide, and the
desalination process can also
remove essential minerals like
calcium. Another concern is
that the concentrated salt is
often disposed back into the
oceans which will increase
in the salinity of the water
and can have harmful effects
to the ocean environment.
Additionally, desalination is
the most energy-costing water
resource. According to the
Pacific Institute, an American
non-profit research institute,
the high use of energy results
in increasing energy prices
and higher prices on water
produced as well, which would
financially hurt the consumer.
It is true that the water
produced could be beneficial
towards substituting the lack
of freshwater in the region,
but these areas have the
tendency to overuse their
natural resources. Instead
of encouraging alternative
forms of water, energy, and
conserving freshwater, large
amounts of desalination plants
is the method that Middle East
focuses on.
With the water scarcity Middle
East is having, the region needs
more than just one solution
to solve their environmental
problem.
SEPTEMBER 2016
Clean Water Technologies
63