SSAVE THE SOUTHWEST← Evidence Library
RESEARCH 03 — DESALINATION & NEW WATER

Can we create new water at the scale that matters?

This page separates what is already proven about desalination from what still must be demonstrated for a Southwest-scale portfolio.

Research rule:Proven technology is not the same thing as a proven project. Scale, location, energy, cost and environmental performance all have to survive the evidence.
FACT 01
Proven technologyReverse osmosis at scale
Supported

Desalination is established technology; the unresolved question is scale and context.

Reverse osmosis and other desalination technologies are used at large facilities worldwide. Reclamation’s Yuma Desalting Plant is a Colorado River Basin example of advanced membrane treatment, although it treats saline agricultural drainage rather than seawater.

What it means

The core treatment technology is not speculative.

What it does not prove

A working desalination plant does not prove that a 3 MAF/year seawater portfolio is economical, permitted or environmentally acceptable.

Yuma Desalting Plant ↗
FACT 02
772 pagesSea of Cortez binational study
Supported

The United States and Mexico have already studied Sea of Cortez desalination opportunities.

Under Minute 323, the International Boundary and Water Commission published a binational study covering water availability and demand, potential facilities, conveyance, environmental considerations and economics.

What it means

Sea of Cortez desalination is a previously studied binational water-supply concept.

What it does not prove

The study is not approval of Save the Southwest, and its candidate projects are not automatically transferable to a 3 MAF concept.

IBWC reports & studies ↗Consolidated study PDF ↗
FACT 03
3.0–4.5kWh/m³ reference range
Supported

Seawater reverse osmosis requires substantial electricity.

A National Renewable Energy Laboratory technical review gives a reference electricity range of about 3.0–4.5 kWh per cubic meter for seawater reverse osmosis. Actual facilities vary with salinity, recovery, pretreatment, pressure and equipment.

What it means

Energy is a first-order design and operating-cost constraint.

What it does not prove

A reference treatment-energy range does not include every pumping, conveyance, storage or distribution load in our concept.

NREL technical report ↗
FACT 04
Design constraintIntake + brine + siting
Supported

Environmental impacts must be designed into the project, not added afterward.

A seawater project must address marine intake, concentrated brine, chemicals, coastal siting, pipelines and energy use through project-specific environmental review and mitigation.

What it means

Environmental performance belongs in the feasibility model alongside cost and engineering.

What it does not prove

The existence of impacts does not establish that a particular site is unacceptable; that requires site-specific analysis.

IBWC Sea of Cortez study ↗
SOURCE LIBRARY

Verify the evidence yourself.

These links open the original publisher or technical source rather than a Save the Southwest summary.

Binational Study of Water Desalination Opportunities in the Sea of CortezIBWC / U.S. & MexicoApril 2020Open ↗
Minute 323 research libraryIBWCCurrent archiveOpen ↗
Yuma Desalting PlantU.S. Bureau of ReclamationFacility referenceOpen ↗
Desalination energy technical reviewNRELTechnical referenceOpen ↗
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