Desalination Water Supply Intake Systems
With continued technological improvements and cost-effectiveness of treating seawater to water supplies for coastal and island areas, stability of the quality and quantity of the raw water supply has become an important consideration.
Hydrotech Environment Systems, through their patented installation of horizontal wells, can provide a superior supply option for both of these purposes. Horizontal wells provide a means of natural filtration that is lacking in direct surface water intake systems. Thus, the potential for membrane fouling is significantly reduced. Also, because Hydrotech horizontal wells are installed below the sediment/water interface, a constant source of supply is assured which is unaffected by tidal conditions. Desalination water supply intakes utilizing horizontal well systems can be installed in beach or intertidal settings at depths up to 25 feet below the sediment surface.
In addition to the filtration provided by horizontal wells, reduction of many undesirable chemical compounds is obtained in the subsurface that would not otherwise occur using direct surface water intakes. The added filtration and chemical attenuation can substantially reduce water treatment costs and the number of chemical treatment processes required and provide a more stable, dependable, supply of quality water.
Hydrotech can provide a single 8″ horizontal well system 500 feet long, which can typically produce at a sustainable rate of up to 1,000,000 gallons per day. Larger yields can be obtained with larger diameter HDPE pipe and/or longer horizontal well runs.
Thus, the advantages of horizontal wells over both direct surface water intakes and shallow vertical wells are substantial.