C2 Water Subsurface Desalination SSD technology
Australian Subsurface Desalination Technology
Subsurface Desalination
Providing a cost-effective, high quality water supply
C2 Water have developed Subsurface Desalination technology (SSD) that provides a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable supply of very high quality water for a variety of uses including potable (drinking water) supply. Our system is ideal for use in communities, on farms and in industry, as an integral part of a water management plan.
How it works
Our subsurface desalination technology treats poor quality (brackish, saline or contaminated) groundwater using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process, in situ within a borehole. This patented, downhole process returns residual fluids (called concentrates) to the aquifer from which poor quality groundwater was obtained, and pumps high quality treated water (permeate) to the surface. The whole process (groundwater feed, RO treatment, concentrate return and delivery to the surface) is powered by a single submersible pump which is part of the downhole SSD system.
Environmentally Sustainable
Because no chemicals are used during subsurface desalination (e.g. antiscalents) residual fluids or concentrates have the same overall composition as groundwater into which concentrates are returned. Hence no contaminants are introduced into the aquifer system. In addition, we can model the operation of our patented system and groundwater behaviour to predict the way concentrates move within groundwater, as a basis for designing systems for return flows which significantly minimise environmental impacts and avoid interference with the SSD treatment process. The modelling is often a prerequisite for regulatory approval for use of the SSD system.