Reclaiming water from contaminated brine can increase water supply and reduce environmental harm

Desalination of seawater and sewage treatment plants leave behind water that contains high concentrations of salt, metals and other contaminants. What if that water could be separated from the rest?

By: Mervin XuYang Lim, University of Arizona, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 4, 2026

Words: 1,024

Last Updated: 2 weeks ago

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By Mervin XuYang Lim, University of Arizona

The world is looking for more clean water. Intense storms and warmer weather have worsened droughts and reduced the amount of clean water underground and in rivers and lakes on the surface.

Under pressure to provide water for drinking and irrigation, people around the globe are trying to figure out how to save, conserve and reuse water in a variety of ways, including reusing treated sewage wastewater and …

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