Publication Date

2-2026

Publisher

State of Western Australia (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development)

City

Perth

Abstract

All desalination technologies generate residual wastes. Waste-stream management poses both cost and implementation challenges that may critically impact project viability, environmental health, and proximate land use. Brine management encompasses brine minimisation and concentration, dilution, and disposal techniques. The scope of this report is to:

  • Summarise commercially available approaches to aid in the selection of the best available technology (BAT) for future inland, small-scale desalination plants;
  • Provide general performance metrics such as system recovery, energy consumption and costs; and
  • List alternative desalination technologies to reverse osmosis (RO) that may mitigate specific residual waste management challenges.

The choice of technology for brine management is location- and case-specific. It depends on factors such as energy sources and costs, land availability, and feedwater quality. This report aims to provide a general overview of the available technologies. Discussion of specific case studies and detailed economic and performance analyses is beyond the scope of this report.

Number of Pages

38

Keywords

desalination, waste-stream management, brine management, best available technology (BAT), reverse osmosis, waste management

Disciplines

Natural Resources and Conservation | Water Resource Management

Maps

Maps are not included as part of the complete document download. If this report contains a map, it will be available in the individual parts list below.

Download

This file is 20.9 MB. Files over 3MB may be slow to open. For best results, right-click and select "save as..."

Share

COinS