Membrane treatment & desalination services

Water scarcity, drought risk and rising demand are pushing utilities and industry towards sources beyond rivers, reservoirs and groundwater

Desalination and membrane treatment convert seawater, brackish water, saline mine water and wastewater into usable supply. Performance depends on getting the technology, pre-treatment, energy recovery, brine management and the regulatory case right.

England faces a widening gap between water supply and demand. The Environment Agency’s October 2025 position statement treats desalination as one option within a diverse supply mix for public water. Anglian Water’s WRMP24 identifies a projected shortfall of about 593 ML/day in the East of England by 2050 and proposes desalination among its strategic solutions, with plants planned in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Essex.

Membrane processes (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) are central to modern desalination and water recycling and reuse. They also carry delivery risk. High energy use, membrane fouling and scaling, brine disposal, marine ecological effects, remineralisation, corrosion control and public acceptability must all be resolved to secure consent and sustain performance.

Poorly specified pre-treatment, an unsuitable technology choice or a weak environmental case can lead to underperformance, higher operating costs and regulatory delay. The first marine desalination schemes in the UK are now progressing, and industrial, mining, data-centre and green-hydrogen users are seeking new sources. Early, independent advice grounded in operating experience reduces investment risk and supports the environmental and stakeholder case needed for consent.

WRc

General enquiries

Advice tailored to your needs

Design, operation, optimisation and troubleshooting

WRc advises independently of technology suppliers. We combine plant operating experience with applied research and regulatory knowledge and work across the project life cycle: strategy and feasibility, technology selection and optioneering, optimisation and troubleshooting, and environmental permitting.

Advice is tailored to the water source, the client’s objectives and the regulatory context.

Our desalination and membrane treatment expertise

Feasibility studies and project assessments

Technical, economic and environmental feasibility studies covering membrane options (microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse osmosis), pre- and post-treatment including remineralisation and discoloration control, cost–benefit and life cycle costing, financial modelling and environmental factors such as brine disposal, energy use and regulatory compliance.

Process optimisation and troubleshooting

Diagnosis and resolution of operational problems: identifying the causes of fouling, scaling and reduced efficiency and applying measures such as revised cleaning protocols, chemical dosing and energy recovery to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

Technology evaluation and selection

Independent evaluation of established and emerging technologies, including high-recovery reverse osmosis, membrane distillation, forward osmosis and capacitive deionisation, comparing performance, durability, fouling resistance and whole-life cost using WRc’s structured evaluation method.

Regulatory compliance and risk management

Guidance on compliance with UK and international water quality and environmental standards, identification and mitigation of regulatory risk and horizon scanning for policy changes.

Operating experience

The team includes specialists who have designed and operated desalination plant. This gives clients access to practitioner judgement rather than theory alone.

Feasibility studies and project assessments
Technology evaluation and selection (established and emerging)
Pre-treatment, remineralisation and blending advice
Process optimisation and troubleshooting (fouling and scaling)
Energy optimisation and energy recovery review
Brine management and environmental impact review
Regulatory compliance, permitting and risk management
Independent technical review and tender/procurement assurance
Water reuse and industrial, mining and green-hydrogen water solutions

Technology selection and feasibility

Selecting the membrane process and configuration for a given water source and quality target is rarely straightforward. High-recovery RO, membrane distillation, forward osmosis and capacitive deionisation differ in cost, recovery, durability and energy, and the trade-offs need to be assessed against the specific application.

Pre-treatment, fouling and scaling

Inadequate pre-treatment is the most common cause of membrane failure. Particulate and organic fouling, biofouling and inorganic scaling (calcium carbonate, sulfates, silica) reduce flux, raise energy use, increase cleaning frequency and shorten membrane life.

Energy and operating cost

Membrane desalination typically uses 3-5 kWh/m³. Energy recovery, chemical dosing and cleaning schedules determine whole-life cost and carbon are worth optimising from the design stage.

Brine and environmental impact

Concentrate disposal, intake impingement and entrainment, and marine ecological effects are central to consenting. Schemes need to demonstrate effective diffuser design, compliance with mixing-zone limits, and monitoring that satisfies regulators and stakeholders.

Water quality, remineralisation and corrosion

Desalinated water is corrosive and low in minerals. It must be remineralised and blended to protect distribution networks from corrosion and discolouration, and to meet drinking water standards and taste and odour expectations.

Regulation, consenting and public acceptability

Schemes must work through the National Policy Statement for Water Resources Infrastructure, RAPID’s gated process, and Environment Agency and DWI requirements. Independent evidence helps build regulator and public confidence.