Desalination and Water Purification Research Program: Research Projects

The United States Department of the Interior (Department), Bureau of Reclamation’s (Reclamation) Desalination and Water Purification Research Program (DWPR) works with Reclamation researchers and partners to develop innovative, cost-effective, and technologically efficient ways to desalinate or treat water. DWPR aligns with Executive Order 14008, “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” by investing in development and application of advanced water treatment technologies that expand access to otherwise unusable water resources, thereby increasing water supply flexibility under the risks of long-term climate change and shorter-term drought. Investing in such technologies leads to development of climate-resilient, cost-effective, and low-impact solutions that bolster the ability of Reclamation, its customers, and stakeholders to cope with stresses of climate change. DWPR funding plays a critical role in iterating an idea from the lab to a real-world demonstration, which yields products that serve the water treatment community and attract commercialization interest. Through DWPR, research sponsors partner with Reclamation to address a broad range of desalting and water purification needs. Reclamation is interested in research where the benefits are widespread and where private-sector entities are not able to make the full investment and assume all the risks. Reclamation is also interested in research that has a national significance—where the issues are of large-scale concern and the benefits accrue to a large sector of the public. DWPR program activities further support multiple related initiatives related to the Water Subcabinet such as the National Water Reuse Action Plan and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Security Grand Challenge. For further information on the DWPR Program, see https://www.usbr.gov/research/dwpr.