As freshwater sources become increasingly stressed, many coastal communities are looking to seawater desalination to augment their supplies and meet growing demand. Seawater desalination is an energy‐intensive process, however, with energy expenses accounting for a significant part of the process operating cost. This article looks at the factors affecting energy consumption for seawater desalination and discusses design and technological developments that can improve efficiency. Although the salinity of the feedwater affects the energy consumed during desalination, energy consumption is also influenced by such factors as recovery, flux, membrane type, ancillary processes, type of equipment, and energy‐recovery devices. To improve efficiency, utilities must take into account design and operation of all these components. Recent advances in desalination technology are making the process more energy‐efficient and cost‐effective. Water providers can do their part by optimizing system design to foster energy efficiency so that, ultimately, more communities can economically tap into untapped sources of supply.

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This article chronicles advances in the filtration of public drinking water supplies from the late 1800s to today and discusses the future of filtration. Topics covered include: granular media's evolution over the years; pretreatment practices consisting of coagulation, mixing and clarification; current availability of filters and membranes; and, future advances in filtration.

Despite higher capital costs, the water industry is buzzing about ceramic membranes because they offer many potential benefits. This article discusses the potential benefits that include the following: improved operability resulting from a more robust filtration material, simplified operations and maintenance (especially cleaning), essentially no need for membrane element repair, and longer service life compared with polymeric alternatives.

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