Water. desalination + reuse

REGIONS AmERIcAS mIDDLE EAST Governor signs bill to accelerate california DPR 2014 Oman conference to look at HABs and desalination The governor of California, Jerry Brown, signed legislation on 8 October 2013 designed to direct potable reuse throughout the US state. SB 322 requires the state Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Water Resources Control Board, to investigate the feasibility of developing uniform water reuse criteria for direct potable reuse by September 2016. In a note accompanying the signing, An international conference on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and Desalination is to be held in Muscat, Oman, in April 2014. Organizers of the event, on 16-17 April 2014, will be the Public Authority for Electricity & Water (PAEW), the Middle East Desalination Research Center, UNESCO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. It will be under the patronage of Mohammed Al Mahrouqi, chairman of the PAEW, Oman. HABs, commonly called red tides, are an emerging threat to the desalination industry. High biomass HABs can restrict flow in desalination plants by clogging filters, but other impacts include fouling of surfaces due to dissolved organic materials that can also compromise the integrity of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. A HAB outbreak of the dinoflagellate Cochlodinium, which lasted nearly eight months in the Gulf-Arabian Sea region in 2008/2009, closed or restricted the operation of multiple desalination plants, one for as long as 55 days. With little reserve water storage or alternative sources, this was a major threat to the region. This two-day conference will bring together scientists, engineers, managers, and government officials. The date immediately follows the Sultan Qaboos University International Conference on Desalination, Environment and Outfall Systems. Conference topics will include the following: • A general overview of HABs, their impacts, and trends • Case studies and descriptions of impacts of HABs on desalination facilities • Results of experimental and pilot studies on HAB toxin removal during desalination • Results of experimental studies on the removal of HAB biomass using Dissolved Air Flotation, ultrafiltration, and other methods • Design considerations for desalination plants in areas subject to recurrent HABs • Approaches to direct bloom control or suppression the governor said, "In an effort to enhance the use of recycled water, I have proposed the consolidation of the management of the drinking-water program and all other water-quality programs, including recycled water, under the State Water Board." "The 3-year timeframe mandated in this bill is too slow," Brown added. "California needs more high quality water and recycling is key to getting there." Papers invited for 3rd Salinity Forum in June 2014 Papers have been invited for the 3rd International Salinity Forum in Riverside, California, in June 2014. The purpose of the forum, to be held at the Riverside Convention Center on 16-18 June 2014, is to present advancements in research, practice, and policy on salinity management. The forum will also address issues that are critical to salinity management, maintaining or enhancing food production, and economic and social impacts. It is being sponsored by the Southern California Salinity Coalition, California Institute for Water Resources, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority and many others. The deadline for abstracts is 1 January 2014. More information about the forum, including complete abstract submission guidelines, may be found at salinityforum2014.ucr.edu. EUROPE IChemE forecasts UK municipal desalination by 2050 By 2050, at least four municipal desalination plants and up to 800 smaller units could be providing water to UK households and industry. This forecast was made on 11 September 2013 by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in an exploration of the water sector within its latest technical strategy, Chemical Engineering Matters. In June 2010, the UK opened its first municipal desalination plant in Beckton, East London, which is operated by Thames Water and capable of supplying 150,000 m3/d of water. The plant only operates during periods of drought. However, changes in technology, combined with major population growth and unpredictable weather patterns caused by climate change are likely to make desalination more viable in the UK. Martin Currie, a member of IChemE's Water Special Interest Group and independent water quality and treatment consultant with Aqueum, said that, while improvements were continuously being made to reverse-osmosis membranes making desalination more chemical and energy efficient, some of the most exciting developments in desalination were with breakthrough technologies like aquaporins. "Also, UK universities and companies are at the forefront of forward osmosis (FO) – a technology now in commercial operation that uses osmosis to suck water through the membrane rather than just pumps to push it," emphasised Currie. "Both technologies promise huge energy savings and FO plants are already seeing massive reductions in the amount of chemicals required to maintain the membranes". IChemE will be publishing a white paper in 2014 which will assess all the options for a secure and safe water supply in the UK and internationally. •Solentdesalinationplantby2028–see Project Progress (page 26). | 20 | Desalination & Water Reuse | November-December 2013 Abstracts will be solicited in the next announcement with anticipate a closing date of mid-January 2014. Oral presentations and posters will be welcome.

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