Press Releases
Offshore Desalination Catching the Attention of Coastal Communities Looking for a Supplemental Water Supply
Seawater Conversion Vessel Offers Environmentally Responsible Alternative to Land-Based Desalination
The SCV is an ocean-going ship that houses a self-contained seawater desalination plant. It includes:
* a multi-depth intake line and pump station to draw water from the sea,
* microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and post treatment systems to convert the seawater to potable water,
* a sophisticated mixing and dispersion system to properly dispose of the brine, and
* a variety of means by which the potable water can be transported to shore.
The patented technology provides a permanent solution to the decreasing availability of fresh water around the globe. "The SCV is the most efficient, cost effective supplemental water source available today," said Amanda Brock, president and COO of Water Standard Company. "A single vessel can supply up to 200 MGD [million gallons per day] of potable water to several communities at once."
Environmentally Responsible Solution
Water Standard Company's environmentally responsible process of open ocean desalination has been designed to minimize impacts on the marine ecosystem and produce ultra clean air emissions.
"The intake line is set below the depth of sunlight penetration to limit impingement and entrainment of marine organisms," explained Charles A. "Skip" Griffin, Jr., P.E., DEE, a senior vice president with PBS&J. "The short length of the intake pipe also significantly reduces hydraulic losses, as well as overall energy demands."
The specially designed salinity plume deterrent and multi-port dispersion systems will dilute and neutralize the brine to normal salinity and temperature levels ensuring that marine organisms are not harmed by water discharged back into the ocean.
The Seawater Conversional Vessel's gas turbines will utilize biofuels, a renewable energy source that reduces green house gas emissions by over 74 percent. Solar panels will be used to satisfy the ship's non-treatment process power needs.
Advantages Over Land-Based Desalination
The SCV removes a range of potential impacts associated with constructing a land-based desalination plant from the negative impacts to traffic, air and water quality, and protected species, to the extra costs and time required to manage archeological and cultural sites or potentially hazardous soils.
Other potential fatal flaws linked with land-based plants are also eliminated, such as the challenge in finding an acceptable shoreline location for intake structures; the difficulty in disposing of brine in an ecologically responsible way; the need to co-locate the land-based desalination plant near a power plant; and the need for once-through cooling.
The SCV can operate out of view, eliminating visual, noise, light, and vibration impacts.
Once in operation, the SCV can be moved to avoid storms and no effects would be felt from earthquakes, other natural disasters, or rolling power brownouts.
The SCV complies with all environmental regulations and permit stipulations. However, the reduced complexity of associated permits shortens the overall delivery time. "A typical SCV can be built, delivered, and operational in approximately two years after permits are obtained," said Brock. "Water Standard Company is committed to bringing permanent, long-term solutions to the severe water shortage that is challenging our nation and the world."
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About Water Standard Company
Founded by Florida-based entrepreneur, Andrew Gordon, Water Standard CompanySM is dedicated to providing a permanent solution to the decreasing availability of fresh water around the globe. Through the design and construction of Seawater Conversion Vessels (SCV), Water Standard CompanySM provides a steady and reliable supply of water, on-demand, worldwide. The environmentally responsible process of open ocean desalination has been designed to minimize impacts to the marine ecosystem, on-land aquifers and rivers to recharge, and ultra clean air emissions. For more information visit www.waterstandard.com or call 1-888-H2O-4ALL (1-888-426-4255).
About PBS&J
PBS&J (www.pbsj.com) is an employee-owned firm that provides infrastructure planning, engineering, construction management, architecture, and program management services to public and private clients. The firm is ranked by Engineering News-Record as 22nd among the nation's top consulting firms. PBS&J has 3,900 employees and more than 75 offices located throughout the United States and abroad.