Database of Permitting Practices for Seawater Concentrate Disposal

This research project sought to identify the discharge information that permitting agencies need and the decision-making process they go through to permit discharge methods in order to help desalination project proponents focus and expedite their permitting efforts. The project documented seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) discharge regulatory issues and provided a critical overview of facility discharge-related information required for permitting desalination projects in the U.S. and selected countries with advanced environmental regulations and experience in implementing seawater desalination projects. Case studies of 11 SWRO plants and analysis of regulatory systems and permitting processes supported detailed definition of the decision-making process to set discharge permit limits, as well as defining environmental and other regulatory issues associated with concentrate regulation. Published by WE&RF. 197 pages. Online PDF. (2016)

Originally funded as WERF project Desal-13-07.