Currently, one billion people worldwide lack access to a reliable source of fresh water. With the population growth and climate change this problem is expected to increase further, making oceans a tempting place to seek solution to this problem.
Seawater desalination can make salt water drinkable, but there are many challenges associated with its adoption at large scale. However, private companies claim desalination process to be a long-term solution to the problem of water crisis being faced worldwide.
But in reality they are just taking advantage of the communities where water crisis is leading water managers to believe that they should adopt extreme measures to provide people with fresh drinking water.
Seawater desalination proves out to be a risky option for solving global water crisis and perhaps creates more issues than what are solved by it.
Is Expensive:
The price tag associated with desalination varies according to the region. Often, the price covers corporate undervalues and government subsidiaries, which makes it two to four times more costly than the available traditional options for purifying water.
Has bad effect on human health and environment:
Some of the by-products of desalination include bisulphates, chlorine, and coagulants that are harmful to living organisms. Desalination process releases concentrated waste, which when dumped into the ocean proves out harmful to marine life and environment.
Power plants intake mechanisms are often teamed with desalination plants and kill around 3.4 billion fish and other marine organisms annually. Seawater desalination process not only upsets marine life but also causes fishermen to lose atleast 165 million fish a year.
Puts drinking water supplies at risk:
Seawater contains chemicals like boron, which are not present in fresh water. Only 50 to 70 percent of it is removed from seawater through the process of desalination. Boron can cause reproductive and developmental problems in humans and animals. It can also lead to irritation of the human digestive track.
Private companies sell water for profit:
Nowadays, more and more private companies have started investing in seawater desalination because it is becoming a leading growth area worldwide. Water today has become a scarce commodity, and thus companies are setting up their business to sell water not only to provide public with safe drinking water but for making profit out of it.
On the other hand, as water is being controlled by private companies so it becomes hard to ensure public safety. Water supply should be controlled by government authorities only to ensure safety.
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Pallavi Sood, is a content writer with a proficiency to write on any topic provided. I love to research on things like technology, business, automobiles, female fashion, photography and anything that is interesting enough. I believe in staying positive as it can win me any battle. When not writing, you can find me watching a movie, surfing online or sketching.