Brackish water is somewhat between seawater and freshwater. It is not as salty as seawater, but it can also not be used as freshwater. We need to look at brackish water as a water source because the world is heading towards a water crisis. Droughts are becoming tough on humans and wildlife. Many of the countries have lost their primary freshwater sources. So, now a strict urgent response is required to make water management the primary concern for almost every country in the world.
Water covers 70% of the earth, but only 3% of the water can be used for drinking, domestic, and agricultural purposes. We can’t use seawater as a resource because of the saltiness it has. And treatment of seawater is also complex and costly for the growing economies. So, there is less that we can do with the seawater.
But it is possible to treat the brackish water to a level where it can be used for irrigation purposes, if not for drinking.
It Is Not Wastewater-
Brackish water is not a type of wastewater. Wastewater is a byproduct of the industrial and domestic usage of freshwater. It is highly toxic and can’t even be decomposed without treatment.
But brackish water is found in the natural environment, where usually freshwater mixes with seawater. Estuaries and Mangroves are examples of natural habitats of freshwater.
To this date, scientists and researchers have managed to treat both the brackish and wastewaters because we can’t afford to waste such a big volume of water. Biological wastewater treatment plants are used to treat the wastewater, whereas reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration are used for the desalination of brackish water.
Challenges To Treat The Brackish Water-
Although brackish water is less salty than seawater, its treatment is full of complexity. Because the salt present in the water can damage the treatment equipment, and with this, it becomes costly to maintain the treatment plants. Other challenges that come with brackish water treatment are scaling, membrane fouling, and bacteria.
With the equation of these factors, it becomes tough to treat the water. However, brackish water is easier to treat than seawater, so more and more global communities are investing in getting rid of the water scarcity issue.
Sources of Brackish water-
Like freshwater, brackish water is also available in limited volume. Mainly it is found where a natural body of freshwater meets the sea waters. As mentioned earlier, estuaries, mangroves, brackish seas, and lakes are the main source of water. If not infected with water pollution, these water bodies can work as a source of water after treatment.
The treatment for brackish water continues to evolve, but still, there is a lot of progress to make. So, we need to have a sustainable approach to water management. Industrial wastewater treatment plants can take care of domestic and industrial wastewater. By treating the brackish water, we can solve the scarcity issues in agriculture. Since agriculture is responsible for about 70 percent of the global freshwater withdrawals, brackish water treatment will be an important part of the solution to treat the global water scarcity challenge.
