Have you ever heard of saltwater? Or used it anywhere? If yes, you may have an idea about the consistency, taste, and saltwater uses. Most of you are generally aware of freshwater facts, but have you ever heard about brackish water? It is water that is even saltier than the average freshwater. But of course, less than they see water.
All about brackish water
Seawater and freshwater have significant differences related to the concentration and the salinity of the water. If we talk about brackish water, it is the water that has salinity levels between seawater and freshwater. Most of the brackish water occurs when seawater or groundwater mix with each other.
In most parts of the world, brackish water is usually undervalued, but as we know that the amount of freshwater is depleting, the reserves of brackish water are now utilized to meet everyday life needs. However, RO water systems are generally used to make brackish water suitable for everyday water purposes. This water which is actually saltier but not more than seawater can save you from dying from thirst.
The salinity of brackish water
Salinity is the salt level in the water; as we discussed earlier, brackish water contains a little more amount of saltiness than standard freshwater. N normal water, the salinity is based on the presence of the amount of sodium chloride. But in brackish water, many other salts affect the salinity of brackish water. Some of these salts are given below.
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Chloride
- Fluorides
- Bicarbonates
- Carbonates
- Nitrates
And much more.
Do you know about Brackish Groundwater?
No doubt, salty water can never be used in daily life without passing it through the process of desalination. If we talk about brackish water, serious desalination is done to make it perfect for industrial or daily usage.
In the United States, most of the groundwater consists of brackish water. The groundwater with such a significant amount of salts mixes with the average seawater and is turning it also into brackish water. According to research, it has been determined that most of the groundwater in the deep levels is brackish water.
Desalination of brackish water with the help of reverse osmosis
In many countries of the world, it is observed that brackish water is used for drinking purposes. What’s the reason? Reverse osmosis! It is one of the best processes to make brackish water suitable for drinking. Most of the water developmental industries around the world are using a reverse osmosis system to treat it. Brackish water is mostly used for fish breeding and the irrigation of crops. This water is mostly used for those crops that have a high tolerance for salinity.
It is one of the commonest and universal methods to treat brackish water. It involves the processing of using the brackish water and pressurizing it to the feed water. This process consists of overcoming the osmotic water and passes it to the semi-permeable membrane to filter all the salts through the semi-permeable membrane.
This is the potential reason why brackish water, with the help of a reverse osmosis system, is used in many industrial centers, many businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and hotels. These people now use brackish water in the production of beverages and for refineries and military usage.
Types of reverse osmosis for treating brackish water
As we already discussed, brackish water could easily be treated with reverse osmosis systems that are in integration with brackish water; it is called brackish water reverse osmosis systems. However, two other types of reverse osmosis systems are given below.
Single-pass reverse osmosis system
In this process of reverse osmosis, the pre-treatment water is used for the additional system components. Pure brackish water is used in this process for converting it into normal water.
Double pass reverse osmosis
This process is utilized for the treatment of pre-treated brackish water. Most people ask about is distilled water good for health? Yeah, it can be! Even if you convert brackish water into the distilled water and can be used for everyday activities.
Industrial usage of brackish water
The whole world is developing so fast that it is getting depleted of freshwater resources. So most of the world’s industries are adopting the strategies of converting brackish water into normal water. Many companies use deep ground brackish water in the cooling pumps by using power generators in the US. If we talk about the industrial usage of brackish water, it is used in the thermoelectric industry. And the minimum portion of the saline water is used in mining and other industries.
Not only these modern technologies are now used for the treatment of brackish water. The process of ultra-purification technologies such as RO and many other membrane-based technologies makes groundwater for industrial usage.
Usage of brackish water in society
Most parts of the world are running low in reserves of freshwater. For this reason, brackish water is now treated as normal water. No doubt, brackish water treatment is controversial, but many companies out there are trying their best to convert brackish water into a reliable source of drinking water.
After converting into freshwater, brackish water can be used in many practical society applications. World’s best water softeners are now utilized for converting brackish water into normal water. After desalination of brackish water, it can be easily used for agricultural and food purposes. Most of the reports have shown that brackish water has a profound impact on the quality of farming purposes as it contains less salinity than the normal seawater.
Conclusion
No doubt, brackish water contains a significant amount of salts, but we have discussed some of the best processes for treating it. So treat the brackish water and turn it into the right water.
