With more than 20,000 desalination plants operating worldwide as of 2019 numbers, brine ponds are growing in number. Desalination plants rely on brine ponds to produce drinking water, though depending on the way the plant operates, brine ponds can be used in a couple of different ways. Some facilities collect water vapor from evaporating ponds. This process leaves behind salt and minerals so that only the water is collected. Other facilities use a reverse osmosis process that filters out salt and dissolved minerals to produce clean, potable drinking water.
Whichever method desalination plants use, the end result is the same: Water is separated out from the brine, and what is left is a highly concentrated brine that needs to be released back into the ocean. Pond liners are key here because they prevent leaks that can lead to a loss of water or to contamination of the surrounding soils with concentrated brine.
