AWWA ACE68652

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of an offshore desalination facility in the Gulf of Mexico that delivers finished water to onshore facilities for distribution. This assessment identifies and integrates appropriate treatment strategies including pretreatment, low and high pressure membrane filtration, post treatment, treated water transmission, and concentrate disposal processes based on local source water quality and finished water goals. Operational and regulatory considerations were evaluated at 25 million gallons per day (MGD), 50 MGD, and 100 MGD production rates. Results demonstrate the constructability of an offshore desalination facility and establish the requisite platform design and resultant treatment system arrangement. Construction and operating strategies and costs are presented to elucidate the economic, environmental, and technical challenges of constructing an offshore desalination platform facility. Includes tables, figures.