Evaporation ponds are useful for all kinds of wastewater, not just brine—and there are key differences that separate the typical brine pond from other types of evaporation ponds. In many cases, evaporation ponds that are used for things other than brine do not require the rigorous safety and engineering standards that a brine pond requires. This is particularly true of evaporation ponds that are meant to collect excess storm runoff, or ponds used for irrigation. When building an evaporation pond designed for brine, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors that require extra precautions to be taken. Chief among these is the high concentration of salt and dissolved minerals found in brine. This makes it a naturally corrosive substance, which means liners and other materials need to be made to withstand incredibly harsh conditions. Concrete and clay liners can break down relatively quickly due to exposure to highly concentrated brines.
Spills from brine ponds pose a much greater risk to the environment than spills from other types of ponds, which means brine ponds need to be engineered with leak protection measures in mind. Additionally, brine ponds typically receive much more UV exposure than other types of evaporation ponds. This is in large part because brine ponds are best located in areas with lots of sunlight throughout the year in order to facilitate efficient evaporation. You’ll need to account for the fact that UV exposure can break down liners, and choose liners accordingly that feature high UV resistance ratings. Factoring for heavy equipment use is another thing to consider. Most other types of evaporation ponds won’t leave a residue that can be harvested—but in a brine evaporation pond, once evaporation has been completed, salts and other solids can be collected, which increases the risk for mechanical damage.
