Distillation is one of the traditional methods of seawater desalination. Its basic principle is to evaporate water by heating seawater, and then condense the evaporated water vapor into fresh water. Reverse osmosis is one of the most widely used technologies for sea water desalination. This method intercepts salt and impurities in seawater through a semipermeable membrane. In addition to distillation and reverse osmosis, there are some other sea water desalination methods, such as ion exchange, electrodialysis, etc.

Sea water desalination may be the key to avoiding global water shortages, but it will take time. Clean fresh water is vital to sustaining human life. However, seawater desalination plants also bring environmental pollution problems. The seawater desalination process produces waste and toxic chemicals that are harmful to wildlife and the earth.

Most cruise ship water is desalinated seawater. The process typically involves steam evaporation—essentially converting salt water into distilled water. The water is then mineralized for added flavor and chlorinated for improved safety. Other ships are equipped with reverse osmosis systems for filtration and/or desalination.

Five desalination plants built along the country's coastline — in Soreq, Hadera, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Palmachim — currently operate and two more are under construction. Collectively, these plants are projected to account for 85-90 per cent of Israel's annual water consumption, marking a remarkable turnaround.

The cost of seawater desalination ranges between $5 and $10 per 1,000 gallons. This means that the cost per gallon of seawater desalination is approximately $0.005 to $0.01.

The cost of water is a major consideration. The construction and operating costs of seawater desalination plants are high, making the cost of seawater desalination much higher than other sources of water resources, such as groundwater and river water. Secondly, the sea water desalination process may cause harm to marine life.

The light commercial sea water desalination system is a water treatment equipment designed for small resorts and beach houses, designed to convert seawater into fresh water for daily use.

5 seawater desalination company stocks worth investing in 1. Ecolab (NYSE: ECL) 2. Consolidated Water Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: CWCO) 3. American Water Works Company Inc. (NYSE: AWK) 4. General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) 5. Veolia Environment (OTC: VEOVY)

In large municipal seawater desalination plants, the cost of desalinating one cubic meter of water is typically around $0.50 - $1.00. The cost per liter of water is approximately US$0.0005 - US$0.001.

As the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant's revenue stability stems from an effective collaboration between Poseidon Water and the San Diego County Water Authority.