A Desalination Primer

Two foremost expert have joined to write this introductory book for newcomers to the field of desalination and for students of this technology. As a result of the development of arid regions and also in the wake of intensive use of water in urban areas all over the world, fresh water is frequently not available in the quantities desired. In the last four decades great strides have been made in the science and technology of water desalination. In 1993 more than 15 million cubic meters (4 billion gallons per day of fresh water were produced by the desalination industry. Statesmen, economists, scientists and engineers must often make decisions relating to this field. Quite often such decisions involve the disposition of considerable amounts of energy and investment funds. It is hoped that this book will provide newcomers with sufficient background to appreciate the fundamentals involved, to understand the jargon of the "insiders" to guide them to the rich original multidisciplinary literature of this field, and to facilitate the first stages of further reading and study.