Health, safety and environment
Sea-water desalination

In terms of health and safety, no specific rules apply to desalination plants, which must therefore comply with current regulations:

• on major construction sites;

• in units using pressurized steam to operate distillation units;

• in units with pressurized water for reverse osmosis;

• in both cases, chemical products are used, stored and handled in accordance with the rules specific to each.

As far as the environment is concerned, two aspects merit careful study:

• water intakes: large volumes of water (especially when desalinating by distillation) can create strong currents, drawing fish (especially juveniles) towards the pumps and causing fish mortality and maintenance problems. It is therefore advisable to limit approach speeds, and to provide screens with systems for rejecting...