Ocean Well: Submerged Reverse Osmosis for Efficient Desalination

The Need for Local Water Sources

• 💧 California faces severe water shortages due to reliance on imported water and drought conditions.
• ⚠️ Wildfires, like the LA fires that destroyed over 100 homes, highlight the critical need for local, drought-resilient water supplies.

Challenges of Traditional Desalination

• ⚡ Traditional coastal desalination is energy-intensive, contributing to climate change.
• 🐠 Ocean intakes for water draw can negatively impact aquatic life through entrainment and entrapment.
• 🌊 Brine discharge, a byproduct of separating fresh water from saltwater, can also harm near-field aquatic ecosystems.

Submerged Reverse Osmosis Technology

• 💡 Submerged Reverse Osmosis (SRO) offers a solution to the energy, aquatic life, and brine discharge issues.
• 📉 SRO uses approximately 40% less energy than conventional desalination methods.
• 🐠 A lifesafe screen on the underwater unit prevents harm to aquatic life.
• 💧 The brine produced is close to ambient salinity and dissipates quickly, minimizing environmental impact.
• 🌍 Ocean Well aims to develop technologies with international scalability and environmental stewardship.