Dow Water Solutions Engages in Desalination Dialogue
Speaking to a group of water industry decision-makers at a roundtable event at Aquatech Amsterdam 2008, Ian Barbour, general manager of Dow Water Solutions, a business unit of the Dow Chemical Co., reinforced that the world's water challenges can be solved through technology, sound management and pricing policies, cooperation of the public and private sectors, and education.
"Desalination represents a tremendous opportunity for achieving an affordable, sustainable water supply in many regions of the world," Barbour said. "Since 1985, Dow has been focused on desalination and further driving down the cost of water through more fuel-efficient reverse osmosis (RO) membranes and other technologies. Still, we know that the ultimate success is dependent on cooperation among governments, nongovernmental organizations, humanitarian organizations, and other entities."
Barbour participated in the industry roundtable, "Cost and Benefits of Desalination," sponsored by the International Water Association (IWA) and Aquatech Amsterdam, which draws thousands of professionals from all sectors of the water industry.
At the conference, the company showcased two new FILMTEC™ 8-inch salt water reverse osmosis membrane elements for desalination applications.
"As a leading global supplier of reverse osmosis membrane products, Dow Water Solutions continues to advance the technology used to make seawater desalination an even more affordable and energy efficient solution, helping to meet the world's growing demand for high quality, sustainable water," said Cedella Beazley, global marketing manager. Both of the new elements have built-in desalination technology combined with interlocking end caps to provide reliable and consistent performance.
The new FILMTEC elements are SW30XHR-400i and SW30ULE-400i. For more information, visit www.dowwatersolutions.com.
Reverse osmosis membranes from Dow are at work in desalination plants around the world, enabling more than 218 million gallons of freshwater per day in water-stressed cities such as Perth, Australia, Tampa Bay, Fla., and Ashkelon, Israel.
"After three years of pilot testing and commercial experience, enhancements like those featured in our new desalination membrane elements are helping Dow reach its goal to reduce the cost of desalination by 35 percent by 2015," Beazley said.