Editor’s Column

In water-scarce regions, two sources of water are normally available: sewage and seawater. One of the keys in water reuse is to first treat the sewage biologically followed by membrane filtration to remove organic matter and suspended solids. For seawater desalination, pre-treatment must be provided if the source is open seawater. Desalination has now been practiced on a large scale for several decades, and in recent decades, membrane desalination has enjoyed tremendous success. Through continual improvements, the major technologies are now efficient and reliable. On the other hand, water reclamation, recycling, and reuse address depleted water supply challenges by creating new sources of high-quality water supplies. One of the most significant benefits of water reuse is the value created by the inclusion of water reuse in integrated water resources planning and other aspects of water policy and the implementation of water projects resulting in the long-term sustainability of water supplies.

Desalination and water reuse still face many challenges. There is a need for holistic, system-wide design of desalination and water reuse plants and processes. In particular, plants and processes should be optimized and integrated to minimize waste, recover byproducts, and minimize energy consumption. Additionally, sustainability of the resource and the process should be integrated into all process optimization, planning and public outreach activities.

How will the current and future challenges associated with desalination and water reuse be addressed? And, who will address them? With these questions in mind, the Journal of Desalination and Water Reuse has decided to highlight the future leaders in desalination and water reuse by publishing thesis and dissertation abstracts of recent graduates and future graduates in the field. What struck us was the importance of knowing and sharing the great work done in many Universities and Research Centers around the world.

We hope that it will be beneficial to all to have the desalination and water reuse industries seeing the fantastic work being done by students.

Isabel C. Escobar

[email protected]