Farmers facing prolonged droughts in the West are exploring whether desalinating brackish groundwater can provide a sustainable source of irrigation despite high costs and environmental challenges.
Lela Nargi reports for Knowable Magazine.
In short:
- Severe droughts are driving interest in using desalinated groundwater for irrigation in places far from the ocean.
- New, smaller desalination systems are being tested on farms to lower costs and make the process more accessible.
- Challenges include high energy use, brine disposal and removing beneficial minerals from the water.
Key quote:
“I think our role now and in the future is as water stewards — to work with each farm to understand their situation and then to recommend their best path forward … whether or not desalting is involved.”
— Quantum Wei, founder and CEO of Harmony Desalting
Why this matters:
With climate change causing more extreme droughts, water scarcity threatens the viability of agriculture in the U.S. Innovations in desalination could help farmers sustain food production, but costs, energy use and environmental impacts remain barriers to widespread adoption.
