Remineralization and Stabilization of Desalinated Water

Abstract

Permeate or distillate from desalination processes is typically void of minerals and alkalinity, inherently acidic and therefore corrosive to water distribution infrastructure. The reintroduction of both minerals and alkalinity is essential for the stabilization of the water before it is sent to consumers making this the last step of the treatment process. Classical water stability is evaluated with respect to its calco-carbonic equilibrium which looks at the balance of calcium hardness, alkalinity and pH to determine whether the water has a tendency to dissolve or precipitate calcium carbonate. The purpose of remineralization processes is replenish the levels of calcium hardness and alkalinity in the water and then adjust the pH to deliver a stable water quality that is safe for human consumption and non-aggressive to water distribution infrastructure.