This interesting article was published in the newspaper La Capital de Mar del Plata in the edition of a business day hoy.Es Mar del Plata.
seawater desalination a reality unknown in Argentina This technology, in countries like Israel, is one of the few forms of access to drinking water for the population. A marplatense based on what "water war" is a "myth."
drinkable seawater effluent from mining use has a cost of 0.004 pesos per liter, the study by a group of engineers Mar del Plata, a few years ago began to develop the technology of reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration, for desalination and decontamination. These systems, which in other countries like Israel, Spain, UAE, to name a few examples, are common in our country are not yet massively distributed, although in some Latin American countries are already beginning to talk of them and still incorporates its empreesas by numerous drinks.
"Talking about this in Argentina seems like science fiction" recognized chemical engineer Alejandro Sturniolo, vice president of a local company that will be a key key desalination system needs electricity generation company Gas Atacama-Chile-for venture north of Antofagasta-See separate.
As they say, from sewage, seawater and even undermine wastewater enterprises can make it safe. The result, said the engineer is better to water coming from the kitchen tap to any resident of Mar del Plata.
Together with a team of engineers received at the National University of Mar del Plata, Sturniolo created Unitek, a water treatment company, started with a bacteriological treatment technology, known as ozone generator, and in 1998 introduced into the desalination developing technology for water reuse.
What is desalination? "We take the sea water, will undergo pre-treatment, in this case with an ultra-range filtering finer particles. Once we remove all suspended solids, as the case may be bacteriological, depending on the state-of-water by chlorination or any of the many means available, resulting in clear water, low turbidity, primary treatment would be desalination. If so, today the technology is the most competitive Reverse osmosis is the same process of osmosis, which leaves a membrane sermipermeable pass water and not salt.
In this case pressure is inverse to the direction of membrane flow, then concentrate on the one hand a solution of salts and on the other side of the membrane water with very low sales "Sturniolo said.
The engineer said "The sea water is about 36 thousand parts per million of solids -26 grams of salt in a cubic meter," and that, on leaving the team, "would be a water of 250 parts of salt per cubic meter." As comparison indicated that "the water we drink in Mar del Plata is about 800 parts per million per cubic meter, so a desalinated sea water, would be" 8 times less salty than they consume of the tap. "
If one were to desalinate water consumed-take-in a house in a day -50 liters-spending power would be the third of what it consumes a washing machine. As to supply thus an entire city, a plant would require about 3 blocks.
In dialogue with this half, Sturniolo said desalinated water by this process "can be taken with confidence".
In fact he said that nearby to the undertaking of Gas Atacama, have water, thanks to that process.
"This breaks the myth of water wars" recognized the engineer, stating that "four pesos to 1000 liters of water, with desalination or treatment, and what it takes to move a ship who is going to think about moving water boat many miles, for countries desdarrollados. And considered in that sense that "we must be one of the few countries that believe that."
" A team of 5000 liters an hour, which may provide an apple-for drinking or cooking, involving an investment of 40 thousand dollars, "he added.
Sturniolo said it's important to take care not to contaminate the resource and" that's perfect ", but clarified that "any water problem is solvable-industrial level and access," and what you should take is "the problem of distribution."
Chile Working
marplatense Company is responsible for the implementation of the first desalination of sea water from an industrial scale for South America, manufactured in Argentina.
The plant will be used to treat drinking water from the Pacific to the power plant Gas Atacama, Mejillones, Chile, (40 km north of Antofagasta, driest place in the world). The flow of fresh water produced from water to sea will be more than 3 million gallons per day. The investment was $ 7 million and the project will be carried out in conjunction with an Israeli company (IDE, who will oversee the plant to GA), a local (Projects and Teams, who will assemble), and who Unitek manufacture all the water treatment systems.
