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The Daily Insight Hub

What are the two ways to desalinate water?

Author

Matthew Harrington

Updated on January 13, 2026

Two distillation technologies are used primarily around the world for desalination: thermal distillation and membrane distillation.

Is it possible to desalinate ocean water?

Desalination is the process of purifying saline water into a potable fresh water. Basically–turning ocean water into drinkable fresh water. Reverse osmosis and distillation are the most common ways to desalinate water. Reverse osmosis water treatment pushes water through small filters leaving salt behind.

Is desalination water good for you?

In 2018, scientists established a link between the consumption of desalinated water in Israel and a 6% higher risk of suffering from heart-related diseases and death by a heart attack. For this purpose, 178,000 members of Clalit, Israel’s largest health care provider, were examined between 2004 and 2013.

Can you drink ocean water if boiled?

Humans cannot drink saline water, but, saline water can be made into freshwater, for which there are many uses. The process is called “desalination”, and it is being used more and more around the world to provide people with needed freshwater.

What are the 3 methods of desalination?

There are three main types of thermal desalination – vapour compression (VC), multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash distillation (MSF). IDE develops and provides unique MED & MVC technologies for desalination.

Can you drink sea water if you boil it?

Making seawater potable Desalination is the process of removing salt from seawater, making it drinkable. This is done either by boiling the water and collecting the vapor (thermal) or by pushing it through special filters (membrane).

Can we convert sea water into drinking water?

Humans cannot drink saline water. But, saline water can be made into freshwater, which is the purpose of this portable, inflatable solar still (it even wraps up into a tiny package). The process is called desalination, and it is being used more and more around the world to provide people with needed freshwater.

Is it expensive to desalinate water?

It is exorbitantly expensive, requires large amounts of energy, it is environmentally damaging plus it is only really viable for coastal communities. To put it simply, desalination removes salt and other minerals from water. Seawater desalination is one of the most expensive sources of fresh water.

Can you drink ocean water if you boil it?

Which is the best way to desalinate seawater?

How to Desalinate Seawater The best way to remove the salt content from seawater is through a process called distillation: boiling water and collecting the condensation. When the water boils, the salt’s left behind as the water evaporates. In a survival situation, desalination can be done a few different ways:

Where did the idea of desalination come from?

Desalination technology started with the simple premise of boiling water. The first desalination plant, built in England in 1945, heated water so it evaporated as steam, leaving the salts behind, and then cooled down and condensed as freshwater.

How do you make a thermal desalination unit?

To create a thermal desalination unit you’ll need to dig up a hole and cover it with a black plastic polythene sheet. Put a collection container in the middle and fill your hole with contaminated water. Make sure the water level is beneath your collection container’s tip.

Is it safe to drink salt water desalination?

Salt water desalination processes can be used for industrial, municipal, or commercial use. When feed water is treated in some of the large-scale desalination processes two products are obtained as seen below. Treated safe to drink water that contains less mineral and salt concentrations.