National Renewable Energy Laboratory, United States
Abstract Submission: Increase in water demand and shortage of fresh water sources has motivated the investigation of using alternate water sources as a reliable source of water across sectors such as power and municipal. The power sector needs a reliable source of water in its thermoelectric plants for cooling and steam generation to produce electricity. Similarly, the municipal sector requires a reliable source of water to prevent water shortages for human consumption. Brackish water is a potential alternate water source which is largely untapped in the USA. However, brackish water needs to be desalinated for use and the brines or solid wastes generated during desalination need to be managed or disposed which can be energy and cost intensive. Furthermore, brackish water needs to be treated and transported from brackish water wells to the point of use which further increases the cost and energy required for transportation as compared to a traditional water treatment plant. Therefore, while brackish water utilization would increase water availability, it requires more energy for treatment and transportation and is expected to have a higher levelized cost of water. The aim of this work is to estimate the energy and cost associated with brackish water treatment using an open-source tool called WaterTAP3. The analysis also includes the cost of transportation and economy of scale to investigate transportation network scenarios that would reduce the overall cost of brackish water utilization. Finally, using the energy and cost estimates, regions and sectors that would benefit from brackish water utilization will be identified.
