Advanced Desalination Technology Brings Clean Drinking Water to Bahamas

GE’s advanced desalination technology is helping a water scarce region in the Bahamas conserve water, expand water production and improve its access to clean drinking water.

Residents of Tarpum Bay on the island of Eleuthera have been suffering with brackish and poor quality water for many years. GE provided its seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membrane technology to a new water treatment plant, which can now produce 200,000 imperial gal per day of desalinated water. Specifically, the plant uses the SeaTECH 84 SWRO system.

“The completion of the Tarpum Bay/Rock Sound Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plant was extremely important to residents who have suffered for many years with poor quality water due to high salinity levels,” Water and Sewage Corp. of the Bahamas Assistant General Manager Philip J. Beneby said. “GE’s water technology enabled us to provide highly improved water quality to the community.”

Although the facility began commercial operation in June, the Tarpum Bay plant held a grand opening ceremony on Nov. 11.

“Lack of fresh water lowers living standards," GE Power & Water Vice President of Engineered Systems Jeff Connelly said. "In regions where the ocean is a predominate source of usable water, desalination using seawater reverse osmosis membrane technology is a viable option to create a new water supply. GE’s advanced technologies can remove minerals and salt from brackish water, which converts previously unusable water into high-purity water for drinking, irrigation or industrial uses.”

Source: GE Power & Water