Interview: practitioners on water security & desalination

By 2025, approximately 40% of the global population faces water scarcity conditions, with North America experiencing unprecedented stress across the Colorado River Basin and the Great Plains aquifer systems. The World Resources Institute reports that by 2030, the gap between global freshwater supply and demand could reach 40%, making water security not merely an environmental concern but an existential economic challenge. In this practitioner interview series, we spoke with engineers, project managers, and executives who have navigated the treacherous path from desalination pilot projects to full-scale enterprise operations—their insights reveal both the promise and the pitfalls of scaling water security infrastructure in North America.

Why It Matters

Water security has transitioned from a regional infrastructure concern to a boardroom priority for Fortune 500 companies, municipalities, and agricultural enterprises alike. In 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation documented record-low water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell, with combined storage falling below 35% of capacity for the first time since the reservoirs were filled. The economic ripple effects extend far beyond immediate water users: a 2024 analysis by the Pacific Institute estimated that water scarcity costs the U.S. economy approximately $470 billion annually through reduced agricultural productivity, industrial disruptions, and increased healthcare expenditures.

The North American desalination market has responded with remarkable growth. According to Global Water Intelligence's 2025 market report, installed desalination capacity in the United States grew by 18% between 2023 and 2025, with California, Texas, and Florida leading deployment. Mexico's installed capacity increased by 22% during the same period, driven primarily by industrial demand in the Monterrey corridor. Canada, while traditionally water-abundant, has begun pilot programs in British Columbia and Alberta to address localized scarcity exacerbated by glacial retreat and changing precipitation patterns.

"The conversation has fundamentally shifted," notes Dr. Elena Rodriguez, a water systems engineer who led the Carlsbad Desalination Plant expansion in California. "Five years ago, we were defending desalination as economically viable. Today, we're fielding calls from CFOs asking how quickly they can integrate desalinated water into their supply chains to derisk operations."

This urgency stems from quantifiable supply chain vulnerabilities. A 2024 CDP Water Security report found that 72% of companies reporting water risks identified supply chain exposure as their primary concern—up from 54% in 2022. For sectors ranging from semiconductor manufacturing to food processing, water availability has become a material financial risk requiring disclosure and mitigation strategies.

Key Concepts

Biodiversity in the context of water security extends beyond ecosystem preservation to encompass the functional resilience of watersheds and aquatic systems that support freshwater availability. Healthy wetlands, riparian zones, and coastal ecosystems serve as natural infrastructure for water filtration, flood mitigation, and groundwater recharge. Practitioners emphasize that desalination projects must account for biodiversity impacts—particularly concerning brine discharge and intake structures that can affect marine organisms—while also recognizing that sustainable water supplies ultimately depend on functioning ecosystems.

Transition Plan refers to the structured roadmap organizations develop to shift from conventional water sources to diversified portfolios that include desalinated water, recycled water, and enhanced conservation measures. Effective transition plans address phased capital deployment, workforce training, regulatory compliance timelines, and stakeholder communication strategies. "A transition plan isn't just about pipes and membranes," explains Marcus Chen, VP of Infrastructure at a major Texas utility. "It's about building organizational capacity to operate fundamentally different systems while maintaining service reliability."

Regenerative approaches in water management seek to restore and enhance natural water systems rather than merely extracting from them. Applied to desalination, regenerative practices include co-locating facilities with renewable energy sources, designing brine management systems that recover valuable minerals, and integrating desalination with wetland restoration projects that benefit from controlled salinity inputs. The regenerative framework challenges engineers to view desalination not as an isolated technical solution but as one component of a circular water economy.

Supply Chain water exposure has emerged as a critical metric for procurement and operations teams. Companies now map their supply chains to identify water-stressed nodes, assess supplier water management practices, and develop contingency plans for drought scenarios. Desalination enters supply chain strategy as both a direct input (for facilities in water-stressed regions) and an indirect factor (evaluating suppliers' water resilience investments).

Scope 3 emissions in water security refer to indirect greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain—particularly relevant for energy-intensive desalination processes. A comprehensive Scope 3 accounting for water utilities includes the carbon footprint of chemical inputs, equipment manufacturing, construction materials, and end-of-life membrane disposal. Leading practitioners report that Scope 3 considerations increasingly influence technology selection, with preference shifting toward lower-carbon reverse osmosis configurations and renewable-powered systems.

What's Working and What Isn't

What's Working

Renewable-Powered Desalination Integration: The most successful scale-up stories involve early commitment to renewable energy integration. The Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant in El Paso, Texas—North America's largest inland desalination facility—has achieved a 35% reduction in operational carbon intensity since 2020 through solar PV integration and grid flexibility agreements. Practitioners report that renewable integration not only addresses Scope 2 emissions but also provides operational cost stability against volatile electricity prices.

Modular, Containerized Deployment Models: Companies like IDE Technologies and Aqua-Pure Ventures have pioneered modular desalination units that enable rapid deployment and incremental capacity expansion. These systems have proven particularly valuable for industrial customers who need water security quickly but face capital constraints or permitting uncertainties for large-scale plants. A semiconductor manufacturer in Arizona deployed modular brackish water desalination in 11 months from contract to operation—compared to the 4-7 year timeline typical for conventional plants.

Public-Private Partnership Structures: Tampa Bay Water's desalination facility demonstrates that well-structured public-private partnerships can navigate the financial and operational complexities of major desalination projects. The facility, operated under a 30-year agreement with a private consortium, has achieved 99.2% availability since its 2008 commissioning while providing Tampa Bay Water with predictable water costs and insulation from capital expenditure volatility. Similar structures have emerged in San Diego and are under development in South Texas.

Integrated Brine Management: Forward-thinking operators have transformed brine disposal challenges into revenue opportunities. The Monterey Bay Zero Liquid Discharge consortium has demonstrated commercial-scale extraction of lithium, magnesium, and sodium chloride from desalination concentrate, generating approximately $12 million annually in byproduct revenue while eliminating ocean discharge entirely.

What Isn't Working

Siloed Permitting Processes: Practitioners consistently identify fragmented regulatory oversight as the primary barrier to scaling desalination in North America. A single coastal desalination project may require permits from >15 federal, state, and local agencies, with overlapping jurisdictions and inconsistent standards. "We spent 26 months in permitting negotiations before breaking ground," recounts a project director for a Florida facility. "The technical engineering took a fraction of that time."

Underestimating Intake and Outfall Complexity: Multiple projects have experienced significant delays and cost overruns from inadequate attention to seawater intake and brine outfall engineering. Environmental impact assessments that fail to account for seasonal marine life patterns, sediment transport dynamics, or cumulative effects from nearby discharges have triggered litigation and regulatory intervention. The Huntington Beach Desalination Project's decade-long permitting saga—ultimately rejected by the California Coastal Commission in 2022—exemplifies the consequences of insufficient environmental integration.

Workforce Development Gaps: Desalination facilities require specialized operational expertise that existing water utility workforces often lack. Membrane system optimization, energy recovery device maintenance, and advanced process control demand training investments that many operators underestimate. Industry surveys indicate a 23% vacancy rate for qualified desalination technicians across North American facilities, contributing to suboptimal performance and elevated maintenance costs.

Key Players

Established Leaders

IDE Technologies: An Israeli company with extensive North American operations, IDE designed and built the Carlsbad Desalination Plant—the largest ocean desalination facility in the Western Hemisphere—and continues to lead in large-scale seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) technology deployment.

Veolia Water Technologies: A global leader operating numerous desalination facilities across North America, Veolia provides end-to-end solutions from design through operations and has pioneered hybrid systems combining thermal and membrane desalination technologies.

SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions (now part of Veolia): Maintains significant market presence in industrial desalination applications, particularly serving the oil and gas, power generation, and manufacturing sectors across the United States and Mexico.

Xylem Inc.: A major water technology provider headquartered in Washington, D.C., Xylem supplies critical components including energy recovery devices, pumps, and monitoring systems that enable efficient desalination operations.

Evoqua Water Technologies: Specializes in industrial water treatment and desalination solutions, with particular strength in brackish water applications serving food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and microelectronics manufacturers.

Emerging Startups

Oneka Technologies: A Canadian startup deploying wave-powered desalination buoys that produce freshwater without grid electricity, targeting remote coastal communities and offshore industrial applications.

Gradiant Corporation: A Boston-based company that has developed proprietary technologies for treating hypersaline brines and achieving zero liquid discharge, addressing the disposal challenges that constrain conventional desalination expansion.

Desolenator: Though European-founded, Desolenator has established North American operations for its solar thermal desalination technology, offering distributed solutions for agricultural and emergency response applications.

Aqua Membranes: A New Mexico-based company that has developed 3D-printed membrane spacers that improve desalination efficiency by 20-30% while reducing fouling—a technology now being licensed to major system integrators.

WaterGen USA: Focuses on atmospheric water generation technology that complements desalination in arid regions, providing distributed water production for communities and facilities where conventional infrastructure proves impractical.

Key Investors & Funders

XPV Water Partners: A Toronto-based growth equity firm exclusively focused on water sector investments, with portfolio companies spanning desalination technology, water reuse, and smart water infrastructure.

Breakthrough Energy Ventures: Bill Gates-founded climate investment fund that has made significant investments in next-generation desalination and water treatment technologies, including Gradiant Corporation.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Federal program providing grants and cost-sharing for desalination research and demonstration projects, with annual funding exceeding $20 million.

California Water Commission Water Storage Investment Program: State program that has allocated funding for water supply reliability projects including desalination, with emphasis on public benefit and ecosystem improvement.

Emerald Technology Ventures: Swiss-based cleantech investor with significant North American water technology portfolio, backing innovations in membrane technology, energy efficiency, and brine management.

Examples

1. Carlsbad Desalination Plant Expansion, California: The Carlsbad facility, originally commissioned in 2015 at 50 million gallons per day (MGD), completed its Phase 2 expansion in 2024, adding 10 MGD of capacity. The expansion achieved a 28% improvement in energy efficiency over the original installation through upgraded energy recovery devices and optimized membrane configurations. San Diego County Water Authority reports that desalinated water now supplies 10% of regional demand, providing critical drought resilience during 2024's below-average precipitation year. The expansion project created 350 construction jobs and 15 permanent operations positions while generating $45 million in local economic activity.

2. El Paso Water Brackish Groundwater Desalination, Texas: El Paso Water's Kay Bailey Hutchison Desalination Plant expanded to 27.5 MGD capacity in 2023, processing brackish groundwater from the Hueco Bolson aquifer. The facility's innovative approach recovers 83% of intake water as freshwater—significantly higher than typical brackish plants—while concentrate is injected into deep geological formations under EPA Underground Injection Control permits. Integration with a 10 MW solar array has reduced grid electricity consumption by 40%, and the plant's water production cost of $1.85 per 1,000 gallons now competes favorably with imported surface water supplies.

3. Monterey One Water Pure Water Monterey, California: This advanced water recycling facility, commissioned in 2020 with subsequent expansions through 2024, demonstrates the integration of desalination-adjacent technologies in comprehensive water security strategies. The facility treats municipal wastewater through membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, and advanced oxidation to produce 3,500 acre-feet annually of purified water for groundwater recharge. While not ocean desalination, the project applies identical membrane technologies and has achieved 99.99% pathogen removal rates. The project prevented 5,000 acre-feet of agricultural overdraft and enabled the retirement of the Monterey Peninsula's seawater intrusion barrier, demonstrating how portfolio approaches can reduce pressure on conventional desalination.

Action Checklist

• Conduct comprehensive water risk assessment mapping all facility locations and supply chain nodes against current and projected water stress indices
• Develop a phased transition plan with 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year milestones for water supply diversification including desalination feasibility studies
• Engage early with regulatory agencies to understand permitting pathways and timeline expectations before committing significant capital
• Establish energy procurement strategies that align desalination operations with renewable energy availability, including power purchase agreements and on-site generation
• Invest in workforce development programs, partnering with community colleges and technical schools to build regional desalination expertise
• Design brine management systems that maximize resource recovery potential and minimize environmental impact, exploring zero liquid discharge options
• Integrate Scope 3 emissions accounting into technology selection criteria, evaluating full lifecycle carbon footprint of desalination alternatives
• Build stakeholder coalitions including environmental organizations, fishing communities, and coastal residents to address concerns proactively
• Establish performance monitoring systems with real-time tracking of energy consumption, water quality, and environmental compliance metrics
• Develop contingency operations plans for drought scenarios, equipment failures, and supply chain disruptions affecting chemical and membrane supplies

FAQ

Q: What is the current cost range for desalinated water in North America, and how does it compare to conventional sources? A: Large-scale seawater desalination in North America typically produces water at $1,800-$2,500 per acre-foot ($5.50-$7.70 per 1,000 gallons), while brackish water desalination achieves $600-$1,200 per acre-foot. These costs have declined approximately 50% over the past two decades due to membrane improvements and energy recovery advances. Comparatively, imported surface water in Southern California costs $1,200-$1,800 per acre-foot, while groundwater extraction ranges from $200-$800 depending on pumping depth. The cost premium for desalination narrows significantly when accounting for supply reliability value—utilities increasingly apply "insurance value" premiums of $300-$500 per acre-foot to drought-resistant supplies.

Q: How do environmental concerns around marine life impacts get addressed in modern desalination projects? A: Contemporary desalination projects employ multiple mitigation strategies. Subsurface intakes—drawing seawater through beach sand or seabed infiltration galleries—virtually eliminate impingement and entrainment of marine organisms, though they increase capital costs by 15-30%. Where open ocean intakes remain necessary, fine-mesh screens and reduced intake velocities (<0.5 feet per second) minimize organism capture. Brine diffuser systems ensure rapid dilution of discharge to ambient salinity levels within regulatory mixing zones, typically achieving background salinity within 100-300 meters of outfall structures. Environmental monitoring programs track indicator species populations and benthic community health throughout project lifecycles.

Q: What role does desalination play in corporate water stewardship and ESG reporting? A: Desalination increasingly appears in corporate sustainability disclosures under water security and climate adaptation categories. The CDP Water Security questionnaire explicitly asks companies to describe investments in alternative water sources, including desalination and water recycling. Companies with facilities in water-stressed regions—particularly semiconductors, data centers, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals—cite desalination investments as evidence of supply chain resilience and responsible water management. However, the energy intensity of desalination requires careful framing around Scope 2 emissions, with leading reporters emphasizing renewable energy integration and energy efficiency improvements.

Q: How quickly can a desalination project move from concept to operation? A: Timeline varies dramatically based on project scale, location, and regulatory environment. Modular, containerized systems treating brackish water for industrial applications can deploy in 6-18 months. Municipal-scale brackish groundwater plants typically require 3-5 years including planning, permitting, design, and construction. Large seawater desalination facilities in coastal California have historically required 7-15 years due to environmental review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act and Coastal Act, though recent legislative reforms aim to streamline this timeline. Texas and Florida projects generally proceed faster, with major seawater facilities achievable in 4-6 years.

Q: What emerging technologies could significantly change desalination economics or environmental performance? A: Several technologies show promise for the 2025-2035 horizon. Forward osmosis combined with thermal draw solution regeneration could reduce energy consumption by 30-40% for specific applications. Graphene-based membranes, currently in advanced pilot testing, demonstrate water permeability 10-100 times greater than conventional polyamide membranes while potentially improving salt rejection. Electrochemical desalination using capacitive deionization may prove advantageous for brackish water applications. Direct lithium extraction from brine concentrates could fundamentally change project economics in regions with lithium-bearing source waters, potentially generating revenues that offset production costs.

Sources

• Global Water Intelligence. "Desalination Markets 2025: Global Forecast and Analysis." Oxford, UK: GWI Publishing, 2025.

• Pacific Institute. "Water and the U.S. Economy: Quantifying the Full Costs of Water Scarcity." Oakland, CA: Pacific Institute, 2024.

• CDP Worldwide. "CDP Global Water Report 2024: Accelerating Action on Water Security." London: CDP, 2024.

• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. "Colorado River Basin Water Supply and Demand Study: 2024 Update." Denver: U.S. Department of the Interior, 2024.

• World Resources Institute. "Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas: 2025 Update." Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2025.

• California State Water Resources Control Board. "Desalination Facility Intakes, Brine Discharges, and Incorporation of Other Nonconventional Water Sources: Final Staff Report." Sacramento: SWRCB, 2024.

• American Water Works Association. "State of the Water Industry Report 2025." Denver: AWWA, 2025.

• International Desalination Association. "IDA Desalination Yearbook 2024-2025." Topsfield, MA: IDA, 2025.