Carollo was selected for an AwwaRF project (RFP #3030) that will focus on the important issues of desalination recovery enhancement and minimization of concentrate (or brine) volumes. The project is titled” Desalination Product Water Recovery and Concentrate Volume Minimization”.

Fresh water sources are very limited and are further declining due to salinity buildup in the existing sources. Coupled with this supply challenge are the challenges of increasing demands: increases in population, standard of living, industrialization, and agricultural and environmental needs. Thus, there is an impetus for water utilities to treat impaired water sources to produce freshwater.

There is a critical research need to advance desalination technologies and develop approaches that can cost-effectively treat impaired waters to produce fresh water, as well as effectively address concentrate disposal or reuse. One avenue is through advancing the science of desalination technologies to realize higher product water recovery and lower concentrate production. This will be accomplished through a state-of-science assessment of promising and emerging technologies for recovery enhancement and concentrate management, an international survey, and development of innovative concept(s) in Phase I of the project.