Break through in desalinization!

[Dinner]

Those of you in the wetter parts of the world may not care but for those of us who aren't this might be big news. Scientists in Israel have begun construction of a desalinization plant which uses a break through new design. Reverse osmosis is a process where a semi-permiable membrane is used to filter out contaminents from water thus making the water clean and drinkable. You can think of it as a plastic sheet which has very tiny holes in it which water molecules can go through but which bacteria and other contaminents cannot. Traditionally, Reverse Osmosis could only be used to clean fresh water (not salt water) because the desolved salt ions were smaller then the water ions thus the salt would pass through any membrane the water could. Until now!

Using a new process which uses special filter which contain magnetically charge layers and high pressure tubes salt water can be turned into fresh water cheaply and economically. Currently, the Israelis estimate the desalinized water will only cost about 20% more then cleaning regular fresh water supplies plus it will be cleaner. As the process is mass produced and the membranes are perfected prices are expected to fall even lower.

That means the world's big shortage of clean drinking water might just be solved. Previously desalinization cost 400%-500% more then cleaning fresh water so only a few plants in very rich countries were built. The new technology is cheap and easy to replicate even in the worst of conditions. That means every seaside city should be able to have a safe, clean, and reliable source of drinking water in the near future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3631964.stm

[Giancarlo]

Dang, this is much needed. And thumbs up to the Israelis.

[Dinner]

The article said the British were even thinking about building one in wet old England just so they wouldn't have to pull water that could be used for wild life or farmers.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Oerdin
The article said the British were even thinking about building one in wet old England just so they wouldn't have to pull water that could be used for wild life or farmers.

It is that cheap? Damn.. if so.. even say, Ethoipia could use this (if Eritrea would let them access to the shore line). They have severe water shortages... along with numerous African countries..

[Az]

Heh, funny, and here I was thinking "Desalinization tech? I wonder if our guys have heard of it...".

Anyway, great job, though I wish the it wouldn't have been subcontracted. Mekorot can build it just as well.

[chequita guevara]

Wow, this is big. This is really big.

[Zkribbler]

Re: Break through in desalinization!

Originally posted by Oerdin
Currently, the Israelis estimate the desalinized water will only cost about 20% more then cleaning regular fresh water supplies plus it will be cleaner.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3631964.stm

Woo hoo! So much of the world is desert surrounded by ocean: Middle East, North Africa, Namibia, Australia, southern California, northern Chile . . . If this is true, these deserts could finally bloom! This might be the greatest technological break through since the invention of the production line!

[Giancarlo]

And could be huge for SoCal, this could push the cost of water down jump starting the state economy. We get most of our water from stressed basins and mountain areas... we have a huge coast line so why not from there? This is bigger then I thought.

[Az]

I guess Israel lives in a bubble or something. This technology is known in Israel for quite some time already....

[Pekka]

Who needs this technology, when you have plenty of clean water anyway. Desert people should be dealt with what Darwin suggested anyway. Desert = no future. It's not meant to be living quarters of humans. It's evil. Except for Israelis. But for the people in Nevada and stuff.. you have no excuses.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Pekka
Who needs this technology, when you have plenty of clean water anyway. Desert people should be dealt with what Darwin suggested anyway. Desert = no future. It's not meant to be living quarters of humans. It's evil. Except for Israelis. But for the people in Nevada and stuff.. you have no excuses.

Well Pekka instead of inhabiting grasslands and jungles, people could move to deserts now.

[Lancer]

This could be the greatest invention since the wheel.

Now the southern Cali people can stop oogleing the Columbia river.

[Jaguar]

Cheap water

[Pekka]

Giancarlo, it is true, but why would they want to do that? My pigment can't handle that stuff, or my skin. Why should other people do that too, just because their skin can handle it? I don't see that as an excuse to make this new thing available for the world. I say, Israelis, keep it to yourselves and make people jump through hoops to get it.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Pekka
Giancarlo, it is true, but why would they want to do that? My pigment can't handle that stuff, or my skin. Why should other people do that too, just because their skin can handle it? I don't see that as an excuse to make this new thing available for the world. I say, Israelis, keep it to yourselves and make people jump through hoops to get it.

Well I'll go then.. wait I'm already there. I think it should be distributed openly throughout the world. Unlike you, I'm for the ending of suffering of millions who lack water.