Innovative Technologies to Expand California s Water Supply

Transcription

1 Innovative Technologies to Expand Innovative Technologies to Expand California s Water Supply Low-Cost Desalination of Brackish Groundwater: Turning the Brown Valley Green Chinmayee Subban Research Scientist, Energy Technologies Area Credit: The Ohio State University Credit: The Ohio State University This is an example of what technology can do. Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 1

2 California: The most hydrologically altered landmass on Earth Average Precipitation Important Farmland CA State Water Project Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP) 2015 Image Credit: Alexis Madrigal 3 California is the top supplier of US s vegetables, fruits, and nuts 1/3 rd of all vegetables and 2/3 rd of all fruits and nuts 99% of almonds 92% of strawberries 99% of walnuts 91% of grapes 98% of pistachios 95% of broccoli 95% of avocado 90% of tomatoes 74% of lettuce 51% of citrus 4 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 2

3 Irrigated agriculture is key to sustaining CA s productivity CA state land area CA agriculture CA agriculture gross economic output 100 million acres 43 million acres CA irrigated agriculture 62 % 38 % 9 million acres Prime, unique and statewide important 5 Hundreds of thousands of acres of prime land fallowed 2015 drought: 540,000 acres fallow $3 billion loss 21, 000 jobs lost 2016 drought: 770,000 acres fallow Image Credit: Lucy Nicholson 6 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 3

4 Where do we find the water to sustain CA s agriculture? Image Credit: Justin Sullivan Brackish groundwater: A currently untapped resource Increasing Salinity Freshwater Seawater < 0.5g salt /L g salt /L >35 g salt /L Brackish water Natural Aquifers Groundwater Contamination Coastal Salt water Intrusion < 500 Ft > 1000 Ft Aquifer Depth Low Nitrate Risk High Low High Saltwater intrusion Maps adapted from NRC Desalination Report (2008) and U.S. Geological Survey Credit: The Ohio State University 8 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 4

5 Unfortunately most plants are sensitive to salt Almonds Citrus Strawberries Pistachios Raspberries Avocados Image Credit: UCANR Credit: The Ohio State University 9 Brackish water must be desalinated for irrigation use Energy Freshwater Desirable Technologies Energy efficient Brackish Water Desalination technology High freshwater recovery Inexpensive Easy to maintain Waste Brine Modular 10 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 5

6 Promising Approach: Charge-based brackish water desalination Na + Cl - + _ Available electrode materials: Expensive Need regular maintenance Lack ion-selectivity 11 We have developed low-cost, robust electrode materials Composite electrode Prototype unit Reproducible results Reduction in Salinity (%) 12 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 6

7 Evaluating scientific and engineering limitations/opportunities Source water composition Operational parameters Water quality demands specific to end application 1L/min 0.1 ml/min 10 ml/min 13 Water sources: Equally saline with very different composition Energy-efficient and fit-for-purpose treatment through selective ion removal 14 Contact for distribution 7

8 Selective contaminant removal to extend CA s water supply High nitrate levels in drinking water High boron levels in irrigation water Credit: Bear Guerra Credit: UCANR 15 Lab to farm with input from growers and UCANR experts Modular, containerized brackish water treatment Electrode Module Stack Multi-stack Field System Direct input from growers Collaboration with UCANR experts 16 Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 8

9 Using excess renewables for distributed brackish desalination 16 Innovation opportunities in Food-Water-Energy Nexus Brine: Technology, infrastructure, and policy Data analysis Modeling Studies Sensors and monitoring Efficiency studies Renewable energy Bio-engineering Contact: 17 Contact for distribution 9

10 Innovative Technologies to Expand We have done it before. The State Water Project has helped California become the economic powerhouse it is today. Image Credit: We can do it again! Water-related scientific and engineering innovations are critical to sustaining CA s productivity and economic growth. 20 Image Credit: tntemerson/thinkstock Contact pfiske@lbl.gov for distribution 10