Saudi Water Authority strategies for raising the total dissolved solids concentration of water produced and transported from desalination plants: Advantages and challenges

Title
Saudi Water Authority strategies for raising the total dissolved solids concentration of water produced and transported from desalination plants: Advantages and challenges
Publication Date
2026
Author(s)
Fellows, Christopher M
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8976-8651
Email: cfellows@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:cfellows
Al-Hamzah, Ali
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1017/s2978171x26000020
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/74930
Abstract

Maintaining the total dissolved solids (TDS) content of desalinated seawater within regulated levels is critical for meeting regulatory limits and maintaining public confidence in the quality of the water supply. A number of strategies for maintaining TDS above the target value of 100 ppm while maintaining all other water quality parameters are described as employed in case studies in seawater desalination plants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: These are reduction of second-stage reverse osmosis, addition of seawater, and increasing the extent of remineralisation. The main operational challenge found in increasing TDS is avoiding corrosion by maintaining the Larson–Skold index below acceptable levels. While acceptable results above 100 ppm can be achieved with relative ease, values above 150 ppm are invariably accompanied by Larson–Skold index levels above 1.2, which cannot easily be remedied without significant capital investment. As legacy thermal desalination plants are retired, it will no longer be necessary to take specific action to maintain TDS above minimum levels, and maintaining system stability at higher levels will become the more significant challenge. Finding means to address the high Larson–Skold index levels is thus a priority in the medium-term to avoid potential corrosion of the existing transmission systems, which were designed for conveyance of product water from thermal desalination plants.

Link
Citation
Cambridge Materials: Water, v.1, p. 1-24
ISSN
2978-171X
Start page
1
End page
24
Rights
Attribution 4.0 International

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