Brine Risks to Sealife
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Academic
Scientists to Investigate Whether Brine Waste from Two Proposed 150 Ml/d Seawater Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants Could Damage Marine Environment Along the KwaZulu-Natal Coastline in South Africa
The studies, to be coordinated by south Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be part of a proposal by utility Umgeni Water to build one or two desalination plants to boost Durban's dwindling fresh water supplies.
One of the studies will examine the environmental impacts of pumping daily about 180 Ml of concentrated brine into the sea near Tongaat north of Durban and and at Illovu south of the city.
The brine was expected to be about 1.7 times more saline than sea water. Umgeni said that a diffuser on the outlet pipes would ensure that the brine effluent was diluted to about 3% above normal salinity levels within 10 m of the diffuser points. The brine would be pumped to sea through outlet pipes extending 350-500 m offshore.It antiquated that potential environmental impacts were likely to be restricted to a small area close to the dispersal pipeline.
CSIR said brine could sink and smother the seabed unless it was dispersed rapidly by currents.
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Taxonomy
- Sludge Separation
- Desalination