Desalination
Desalination is a the process of removing salts and minerals from saline water - such as sea water - to make it suitable for drinking or for other applications that require fresh water. This process can be very resource intensive, but creates a source of water that is not dependent on rainfall.
Desalination generally requires a significant amount of energy. The most common method is through thermal distillation. This uses heat to boil seawater to the point where it evaporates and salt and other impurities are left behind.
Membrane-based distillation, such as reverse osmosis, is another common method of desalination. This uses less energy than distillation.
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