Desalination: the quest to quench the world's thirst for water
by Chris Johnston from Technology | The Guardian on (#9V1K)
Technological advances have made removing salt from seawater and waste water less energy-intensive, but will they simply encourage us to use more?
The average Briton uses 150 litres of water a day; the average American gets through 570 litres of the stuff. The world is getting thirstier and the global demand for fresh water is rising by 640bn litres a year.
Population growth is one factor, not only the need for drinking water and sanitation but also the need to produce more food. Agriculture accounts for 70% of water use.
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