No, absolutely not. Desalination is the equivalent of fracking -- it does nothing to change wasteful behavior or eliminate downstream (no pun intended) harmful impacts. The definition of "sustainable" is harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.  Desal will permanently damage the already-fragile marine ecosystems, and does nothing to prevent eventual depletion of potable supplies.

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No, absolutely not. Desalination is the equivalent of fracking -- it does nothing to change wasteful behavior or eliminate downstream (no pun intended) harmful impacts. The definition of "sustainable" is harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.  Desal will permanently damage the already-fragile marine ecosystems, and does nothing to prevent eventual depletion of potable supplies.

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Irma, thank you for your comments. However, desalination provides a means of fresh water where there is limited or no resources available. It is used alongside sustainable water reuse efforts. There are many mitigating measures that are implemented for discharge systems to drastically reduce the effects of this discharge on the surrounding ecosystem. 

I agree, that if there are sufficient potable water resources of sufficient quality available (surface water/groundwater), that seawater desalination should not be used. However, when dealing with water scarcity and the impacts it brings on coastal communities and island nations cannot be ignored. 

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