Partnering to Thrive: How to Prepare for Seawater Intrusion in Coastal Regions

Increasing water source scarcity and growing population needs has increased the complexity of access to clean, potable water. An area’s ability to produce drinking water may have unique challenges, and communities in the US aren’t exempt from these.

On the Islands of Sanibel-Captiva in Florida, the biggest problem facing the Island Water Association is that there is no water connection to the mainland, and on-island production facilities need to supply clean water every single day. Water is essential to the 15,000 islanders from an environmental and economic standpoint. Without clean, healthy sustainable water, the island would not be the thriving community it is today.

The water plant is a vital organ that sustains households and many different industries, including tourism and agriculture. For over three decades, the Island Water Association and DuPont Water Solutions have collaborated to meet freshwater demands and optimize process efficiency with reverse osmosis, providing a sustainable source of clean water for the island. Together they have overcome challenges such as the degrading feed water quality as a result of seawater intrusion into freshwater aquifers. 

DuPont Water Solutions is using FilmTec™ reverse osmosis membrane elements to meet the growing demand for drinking water, fire protection, and irrigation. It can treat large volumes of water at low operating pressures, resulting in reduced operating costs with maintained high productivity.

The FilmTec ™ membrane is a semipermeable membrane that is used to separate salts from aqueous solution, and it represents the best available technology for producing potable water. The resulting water that passes through the membrane is clean and ready to drink.

Watch the new video for a look at how DuPont FilmTec™ reverse osmosis membrane elements have redefined membrane technology and are delivering higher water quality for communities.