Why not use Sea water?

Question

In todays modern society how come we have still not managed to harness the waters around our shores and purify them in order for us to use it for everyday purposes.
There must be a way to do this with all the modern technology we have at our disposal,and it would help stop the erosion of the coastline and why not use it for fire fighting and industrial use.
There must be countless uses for seawater,and it would be cheap,and imagine all those countries who are surrounded by oceans and have no water to drink.

Answer 1

Well, that is an interesting question.

In fact some countries do make use of sea water
for the production of fresh water. Those countries
are mainly in the middle east where fresh water is
difficult to obtain. Desalinazition Plants are installed
and those plants provide pure drinking water from
salt water. The cost of the equipment is rather high
and it uses a significant amount of electricity so the
purchase price and operation costs are a consideration.

You cannot simply use sea water in place of fresh water.
Vegitation, for example, would be killed rather quickly by the salts contained in sea water. Common metals such as iron and plain untreated aluminum would corrode very fast when exposed to sea water.

In the marine industry there are a number of personal desalinazation devices available for around $1000. With one of these, and some hand labor (to operate a hand pump) you can turn a jar of sea water into a jar of fresh drinking water within about 30 minutes. You need to apply enough pressure on the sea water to force it through a special porus membrane. The water goes through, and the salts, algae and minerals stay behind to be flushed out later..

Nuclear Power Plants use sea water as a cooling liquid for their reactor systems.

Some industries also use sea water in bays and along beaches for cooling industrial equipment.

Answer 2

I agree. There is something called a Solar Still which can be used to get fresh water from sea water in small quantities. There must be some quick and easy way of dropping the salt out to make sea water into drinkable water.

Reverse osmosis filtration used in desalination plants uses a lot of diesel oil to power the pumps.

How about having a huge grain silo with a sea water tank at the top, filters all the way down and a tap for the fresh water at the bottom?

Answer 3

For the most part, desalination of seawater is more costly than getting fresh water directly. However some countries without a good supply of fresh water have little or no choice. Some places are doing desalination currently with good results.

Answer 4

To desalinate sea water requires a lot of energy - whether using reverse osmosis, or distillation. This energy cost has to be paid for, and the resultant water is no longer cheap. Nature does it for free, but the water is not evenly spread round the world.
By the way, they use sea water to flush toilets in Gibraltar, to save fresh water. However, this means two water supply systems...more cost.

Answer 5

ERMMM

EVER HEARD OF DESALINATION?

I guess not, or you would know that it's used in a lot of middle eastern countries to produce fresh water from sea water.

EDIT

To those banging on about the energy costs in producing desalinated water.

The countries that use this are around the tropics ........... they can use Solar Power for the majority of their energy needs.

Answer 6

it is not cheap to De_salinate seawater to make it drinkable
the salt and minerals in it would rot the inside of pumps and machinery so its not an easy option for fire fighting but waste water is

Answer 7

There is a process called Desalination but it is costly and produces drinkable water but I think it is a long process


Have a look at my Blog for the 6th October (Bottom half) see what you think about my mad cap idea.

Answer 8

sea water IS used

the power stations on the coast use it for cooling, fire brigades DO use it
desalination plants are expensive, but being used extensively in places like the persian gulf, where water really IS in short supply

Answer 9

come on. desalination maybe a fact but are we not told that mercury levels are too high in sea water...if we are advised to eat less fish as a consequence why would we be convinced to drink the water. sea water for sewage purposes may be a solution.

Answer 10

It is possible to purify it.

Unfotunately, as is the case with many potential life-saving schemes, it is not deemed to be cost-effective.

Therefore, people must die so that other people have money.