Desalination Database Updates for Texas - Texas Water ...

Figure 3-3: Locations of desalination facilities in Texas
3.4 Desalination Operation and Maintenance
The survey asked various operational and maintenance questions to the facility operators and
managers. These questions include feed water source and quality, desalination treatment method,
membrane scaling type, membrane cleaning frequency, membrane replacement frequency, product
water post-treatment, concentrate post-treatment, and concentrate disposal. A summary of the
outcome of the survey is provided below.
a) Feed Water Quality: Feed water quality is a critical design criterion for desalination. Low TDS
concentration in feed water requires less energy for treatment compared to high TDS in feed water.
Additionally, low TDS allows for higher conversion rates and the plant can operate with less dosing of
antiscalant chemicals.
In Texas, total dissolved solids concentration in desalination facilities varies from less than 1,000 mg/L to
greater than 3,000 mg/L (Figure 3-4).