Forward osmosis

Poseidon Water employees stand between rows of reverse osmosis filters at the Western Hemisphere's largest seawater desalination plant, currently under construction in Carlsbad, California.

Desalination is an expensive energy hog, but improvements are on the way

Environment

Desalination — taking the salt out of seawater so humans can drink it — is becoming more important as the Earth warms and drinking water gets more scarce, but it’s not a cheap or simple process. Here are some ways it might get more affordable and environmentally friendly.

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!

We respect your time, attention and privacy

This is a news website, not a click casino. We do NOT employ deceptive behaviors, display annoying ads or use third party cookies and trackers to monetize your visit or help advertisers track you across the internet.

Simply, we ask that you would consider a donation to support the journalism we produce every weekday. Thank you.