International Symposium

Techonological Advances in the Design and Control of Brine Discharge Into the Sea

INTRODUCTION

The development of the desalination industry in Mediterranean countries has been growing in recent years to alleviate water shortages. The main purpose of these plants, which have increased in number in recent years, is to provide water for both urban and agricultural uses in different areas of Spain in response to the growing need for fresh water. However, the desalination of seawater has two major direct impacts on the environment: high energy consumption and discharge of brine waste that contains high concentrations of salt into the sea.

To confront these problems it is necessary to improve the level of knowledge of brine waste behavior and to transfer this knowledge to the responsible for its management and development in order to administrative entities improve wastewater effluent efficiency. If the brine discharges are carried out with the proper dilution, the dilution efficiency would be maximized and the potential negative effects on the marine environment. The Environmental Impact Declaration currently requires an exhaustive environmental monitoring program during the operation stage of the desalination activity.

TOPICS AND OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the Symposium is to improve the level of knowledge in order to provide proper management of brine discharge through appropriate mechanisms, thus minimizing the potential negative effects on the marine environment; specifically those areas located around the different desalination plants located along the coast of Sapin.

The symposium has a participatory format with a primarily scientific and technical approach. Several experts will discuss the different tools that are available for carrying out Environmental Impact Studies for desalination plants (instrumentation, data capture, physical models and vulnerability of marine biocenosis against brine effluent)

They will also discussed the applicability of different mathematical models used to predict the environmental response to different ocean-meteorological conditions and different dilution effluent rates.

A pioneering research project for controlling desalination discharges in the marine environment,. ASDECO (Automated System for Desalination Dilution Control) is currently being carried out. It is subsidized within the National Program for Environmental Science and Technology. (R+D+I National Plan 2004-2007) and is funded by the “Secretaría de Estado de Medio Rural y Agua, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente”.

This symposium is meant to go beyond the mere dissemination of the advancements made in the ASDECO project. It has been organized as a meeting point for the different agents, technicians, scientists, and other who are involved in the issue of desalination in order to create an environment where the transmission of knowledge plays a decisive role.

PROGRAMME
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