Rural Application of a Low-Pressure Reverse Osmosis Desalination System Powered by Solar–Photovoltaic Energy for Mexican Arid Zones

Abstract

A reverse osmosis system driven by photovoltaic energy is an eco-friendly and sustainable way to produce freshwater in rural areas without connection to a power grid and with available brackish water sources. This paper describes a project where a photovoltaic-driven low-pressure reverse osmosis system (LPRO-PV) was designed, tested under laboratory conditions, and installed in Samalayuca, Chihuahua, Mexico, to evaluate the technical feasibility and social impact of this technology. The LPRO-PV system was tested with synthetic water with a salinity of 2921 ± 62.3 mg/L; the maximum freshwater volume produced was 1.8 ± 0.06 m3/day with a salinity value of 91 ± 1.9 mg/L. The LPRO-PV system satisfied the basic freshwater requirements for a local family of three members for one year, including the mobility-restriction period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The social evaluation analysis reflects the importance of considering the technical aspects derived from the experimental tests, as well as the users’ perception of the performance and operation of the system. As a result of the implementation of this technology and the benefits described by the users, they committed to the maintenance activities required for the LPRO-PV system’s operation. This technology has great potential to produce fresh water in arid and isolated regions with high-salinity groundwater sources, thus fulfilling the human right to safe and clean drinking water.

Critical Analysis of Stakeholders in the Municipality of Tarija, Bolivia, in Search of Strategies for Adequate Water Governance to Implement Reverse Osmosis as an Alternative for Generating Safe Water for Its Inhabitants

“…Sahin, O. et al [14] and Cervantes-Rendón, E. et al [14,15] point out that management models for water supply planners seek to proactively plan, account for, and finance portfolios of water supply infrastructure. Analysis of interested parties is a fundamental alternative for implementing new technologies, such as RO.…”

“…The management of water and energy resources will be more efficient when "active water citizens" increase environmental awareness by promoting monitoring measures and data collection, which significantly increases public motivation and environmental awareness for the efficient use of natural resources. Economic growth accompanied by global climate change exerts more significant pressure on conventional sources of drinking water, and it is necessary and urgent to create cooperative, sustained, and sustainable projects capable of supplying safe water with fewer risks, lower costs, and better technologies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24].…”