desalination Flashcards
how much of the world’s population face water shortages
40%
how many desalination facilities are there worldwide
20,000 providing water for 300 million people
how much water does Saudi Arabia produce
produce one-fifth of the world’s desalinated water due to inadequate freshwater supply
what do north Africa and the middle east experience
extreme high water stress
what will cause an increased water scarcity
due to population growth may displace hundreds of millions of people by 2050
what has climate change caused in terms of rainfall in Australia
has led to more rainfall in northwest Australia, while the southwest is becoming drier
what is responsible for this decline in water in the southwest
human activities are responsible for half of the decline
what is needed to ensure that the population’s water needs are met
water storage and infrasture
where does Perth’s water supply come from
replenished groundwater and the Janakot and Gnangara water mounds
what can be said about rainfall runoff into Perth’s dams
their have decreased significantly and is expected to decrease further
what is the decline in rainfall in Perth?
perth has experienced a 12% decline in rainfall since 1990, and runoff into dams has fallen by over 50%
what is being done to cope with this decline in rainfall
the state government has relied on the use of desalination plants, which produced 45% of perths water supply in 2020-21
how does desalination work
the desalination process uses reverse osmosis, which involves pumping seawater through filters that remove salt, bacteria and viruses
around 50% of the water entering a desalination plant becomes fresh drinking water and the remaining salt and impurities are returned to the supply
describe the desalination plant in Kwinana
the perth seawater desalination plant in Kwinana, which began operating in 2006, produces 15% of perths water
desalination plants require more energy than collecting water from a gravity-fed source, but the Kwinana plant uses renewable energy from the Emu Downs Wind Farm
the Kwinana plant has received awards for its environmental efforts, including planting native shrubs to stabilize the dune system and prevent erosion
why can desalination plants be a concern
the wastewater produced by desalination plants can be a source of environmental concern due to its high concentration of salt and pollutants
what is the area of wastewater from desalination plants when it is a concern
the environmental impacts of desalination wastewater is limited to a 100m area surrounding the plant, according to a recent report from the university of new soutb wales
what can wastewater result in
the environmental risks from this wastewater can result in a toxic brine that can degrade coastal and Marine ecosystems, or combined with increases in temperature and reduced oxygen levels, can create marine dead zones
negatives to desalination
desalination has many environmental positives, but not always the case
the southern seawater desalination plant in Binningup was deemed non-compliant in a 2021 report for not meeting its renewable energy target and releasing 760,000 tonnes of CO2
water corporation allocated $1.4 billion in the state budget for a third desalination plant to provide water for Perth as climate change and population growth affect the water supply
perth residents have experienced a 70% increase in water bills over the past decade to fund and run desalination plants, paying 26% more than necessary
what can small-scale desalination plants be used for
to effectively irrigate crops
how many desalination plants are their in australia
270 desalination plants for various purposes, including in Rottnest island
describe desalination plants in the middle east
morocco opened its largest desalination plant in 2022 for agricultural irrigation
cooperation between countries such as Jordan and Israel is also seen in desalination initiatives
why is desalination important
desalination is an adaptation strategy, and sustainable water saving measures and programs are important
how much has desalination capacity increased by
desalination plant capacity has increased by 7% annually worldwide as an adaptation to changing rainfall patterns and growing population
