Blending between desalinated water and other sources

摘要

Desalinization may be a crucial component in solving the water resource development of coastal areas. The possibility to detect useful systems to correct and balance water quality needs, as necessary for the intended users, has been a fundamental target of recent desalination projects. Other sources may be locally available and can be retained as a complement to decrease the production cost and to correct the water quality parameters as per the WHO requirements. In coastal areas were groundwater of lower quality may be available, blending two or more sources are the winning solution. However, blending needs constant monitoring and continuous adjustments of proportions in the final mix. In order to meet this target, the operators need a decisional tool that enables the correct blending between different water sources. A simple but comprehensive blending tool, integrated by a hydrogeological dynamic verification tool for a better management of the overall system, was developed by Lotti Ingegneria, Italy. The blending tool, with methodological approach is reported herein, is an operational instrument aimed at calculating the chemical parameters concentration at blending reservoir level, on the basis of input and control data, by warming as well as in case of possible critical situations. The tool is based on a groundwater database spreadsheet described in terms of actual and target quality parameters and blending points (blending reservoirs) where the blending will be between desalinated water and other water sources. It was developed to be interfaced with supervisory control and data acquisition and allows easy monitoring and prompt evaluation of corrective actions as needed. Water obtained by a desalination process is extremely low in terms of salt concentration, for this reason it is necessary to pay attention to the aggressiveness and the taste of tap water. The solution to improve the flavor of tap water is blending desalinated water with available local water sources.