There are no significant public water supplies utilizing brackish or saline source water inNew England. The northern-most municipal supply is at Cape May, New Jersey, at thesame latitude as Washington DC. Meanwhile, New England water utilities haveencountered significant regulatory resistance to developing or expanding freshwatersupplies. As improved membrane technology and production methods along withincreased competition have reduced system costs, desalination has become a potentiallyviable alternative.Two Massachusetts desalination projects are progressing toward construction. In NorthDighton, a privately-funded facility known as the Aquaria project is under construction.Its primary customer will be the City of Brockton. In nearby Swansea, the SwanseaWater District's project is in final permitting and design.Coastal communities throughout New England are watching the progress of these twoprojects. If desalination can be implemented at a reasonable cost, the growth of thisalternative in cold water markets will likely be exponential. This paper discusses theSwansea Desalination Project by covering topics that include:project background;project development;current project overview;river Water intake;concentrate discharge to river;project costs and financing;implementation schedule; and,acknowledgments. Includes figures.
