| Abstract: | This paper aims to establish appropriate guidelines for the mineral content of potable water produced by desalination. The inadequacy of such specifications has lead to a number of conflicting interpretations of contract documents or to a product which was not optimal from an economic or consumer point of view. An optimal choice under both these constraints can only be made through the evaluation and comparison of feasible alternatives of plant and mineral combinations.The optimal ranges of TDS and the most suitable ionic content of water produced by desalination are indicated in terms of the available general criteria and standards. The composition of the raw product water from a desalination plant depends on the type of plant, and in some plants (e.g. RO plants) it is difficult to achieve an initial composition which can be remineralized to produce optimal blends. The possible courses of action to make these waters more pleasant to drink are discussed and their economic ramifications are explored.To complement the conclusions reached above, a series of taste tests was carried out. Different compositions of remineralized distilled water (i.e. with acidification by CO2 and addition of CaCO3, with other salts to produce hardness, and with different quantities of seawater) were compared with tap water and mineral water by a sample of about 200 people in Sydney, Australia. The testers' reactions are analysed and related to the optimal remineralizations discussed above. |
