Advances in reverse osmosis membrane technology are convincing more and more cities to invest in cleaning their own used water instead of piping it in from far-off reservoirs.
"A non-profit organization called the Affordable Desalination Collaboration formed in the state of California as a public/private venture that has funding from some of the municipalities like Orange County, West Basin, and the city of Santa Cruz. It also has funding from the state of California's Department of Water Resources, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and then some of the industrial companies."
"For example, when the Santa Barbara seawater R.O. system was built in the early 90s, it cost about four times what it currently costs to desalt seawater-seawater desalting costs only 25 percent of what it did just 15 years ago. So, we found out very quickly that the technology has improved and is more energy efficient..."
"...osmotic pressure represents a potential source of energy. That was postulated in the 1970s by the originators of the reverse osmosis concept but at that time the technology didn't exist to capture that osmotic pressure and turn it into power. Today, because of technological improvements, it is conceivable that we will be able to capture the osmotic pressure from seawater and make it a source of power."
FULL STORY: Reverse Osmosis and Toray Membrane USA: Can Desalination Finally Solve Water Scarcity?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions