Yes.
MIT engineers have created a solar-powered desalination system that produces clean drinking water without the need for battery storage or additional energy sources. This reduces high energy costs typically associated with desalination, a key barrier to widespread adoption of the technology.
The MIT system is primarily designed to remove excess salt from brackish water—salty water found in underground reservoirs—rather than ocean water. Arizona’s aquifers have extensive brackish water reserves, possibly enough to meet the state’s annual demand up to 85 times over, according to the most recent water use data from the state’s Department of Water Resources.
State officials have explored a joint desalination project with Mexico in recent years, and have considered resuming operation of a little-used desalination plant in Yuma. But desalination comes with challenges beyond high energy costs, such as disposal of excess brine.
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
Sources
- MIT News, Solar-powered desalination system requires no extra batteries
- Nature Water, Direct-drive photovoltaic electrodialysis via flow-commanded current control
- U.S. Geological Survey , Desalination
- Arizona Department of Water Resources, Arizona Water Facts
- ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, The Future of Desalination in Arizona
- Montgomery and Associates, Will desalinated brackish groundwater become Arizona’s next big supply source?
- Central Arizona Project, Yuma Desalting Plant
- Central Arizona Project, Binational Projects, Desalination
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is partnering with Gigafact to produce timely fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.
