6.2 Risks
6.2.2 Non-Integrated Solutions and Unplanned Applications
The advantages associated when integrating desalination projects with existing power and potable
water infrastructures are often realized on a regional scale. The integration of these plants into
existing systems allows a community to expand its water resource portfolio and share the energy
demands of providing an additional water resource. If desalination facilities are not integrated into
existing water infrastructure, water shortages, drought conditions, or contamination of water
resources affect the portions of the community that are reliant solely on those resources.
Alternatively, if energy prices increase significantly, the portions of the community that depend on
desalination as a sole resource can be susceptible to much higher prices for the same water if energy
prices increase. Ultimately, non-integrated or poorly planned desalination facilities can separate
27
portions of the community from water resources as the result of energy price or water shortages.
By blending all of these resources into one system, the community is not dependent on one specific
resource, providing additional protection against changing climate and economic conditions. |
