Ilhabela will have a plant that transforms sea water into drinkable water
The State of São Paulo will have its first plant that will transform seawater into drinking water. The Desalination System for Public Water Supply will be built in Ilhabela, on the North Coast, a region with environmental restrictions for the capture of fresh water and which attracts a large number of tourists.
The expectation is that the water will strengthen the Água Branca production system with a flow rate of 20 liters per second, which represents a 20% increase in the current supply. The work includes the implementation of pumping systems, pipes and reservoirs for the entire process involving capture in Ribeirão Água Branca, elevation, adduction, reservation of raw water, treatment and reservation of treated, fresh and drinking water.
According to the Government of São Paulo, residents and visitors from the central and northern regions of the island will benefit, from Piuva/Barra Velha to Ponta das Canas, passing through Green Park, Reino, Itaguaçu, Itaquanduba, Engenho D'Água, Saco da Capela, Centro, Praia Feia, Barreiros, Siriuba, Pedra do Sino and Armação. The work is expected to take three years and will involve an investment of R$56.4 million from Sabesp.
Currently, the water is collected in a section of Ribeirão Água Branca where the water is still fresh. With the new system, the Company will expand the collection, also carrying out this stage in a section closer to where it meets sea water, which makes the desalination process necessary.
To remove salt and other impurities from salty or brackish water (with less salt concentration) and make it suitable for human consumption, Sabesp will use technology based on the so-called "reverse osmosis", which consists of applying high pressure to salty water, forcing it to pass through semi-permeable membranes that retain dissolved salts.
Among the advantages highlighted by desalination is the fact that it is a resilient source of supply. "It does not depend on rainfall, guarantees predictability in water production and can be implemented close to urban areas, which reinforces water security", says Roberval Tavares, director of Engineering and Innovation at Sabesp.
In Brazil, there are initiatives to transform brackish water into drinking water in the Northeast, such as the Água Doce Program, implemented in the semi-arid region, and the Dessal Ceará plant, in Fortaleza, which guarantees supply in the metropolitan region of the capital of Ceará. In the Southeast, the process is only adopted at an industrial level, to guarantee self-sufficiency in the Port of Tubarão, located in Espírito Santo.
On the international stage, countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Spain are among the leaders in large-scale desalination projects.
Source: Antena 1