Desalination brine discharge modelling as support for planning decision

A great deal of attention has been devoted worldwide to the environmental aspects and impact of desalination plants, mainly those involving the pumping of salt concentration back into the sea. This paper deals with the problems caused by brine discharge into a marine environment, which are principally due to its high salt concentration compared to sea salinity. A mathematical modelling of brine mixing processes was carried out at the planning and site selection stage of a desalination plant project, according to the agreement between the Municipal Waterworks of Bari and the Technical University of Bari, Italy. The aim of the study was to find a site for brine outfall with a lower environmental impact. As result, both direct and indirect advantages were discovered in adding desalinated water into marine areas where there is an existing waste water outfall deriving from the West Bari treatment plant.