WEDC Technical Brief No. 40: Desalination

Desalination describes a range of processes which are used to reduce the amount of dissolved solids in water. Dissolved solids are often referred to as total dissolved solids (TDS), and are measured in mg/l. As a means of producing potable water, desalination is usually an expensive option. It is often associated with electricity generation plants, from which both electricity and waste heat are available.

This Technical Brief outlines the processes and techniques involved, but also presents low-cost methods of desalination by distillation.