In the context of desalination, RO membrane technology has
been developed over the past 40 years, being the leading technology
for new desalination installations. Water shortage problems in
dry inland regions are increasingly satisfied through RO desalination
of brackish groundwater's resources. Exploitation of brackish
groundwaters is advantageous due to the lower salt concentration
of the inlet water compared to seawater, which reduces the
osmotic pressure to be overcome and the energy consumption
[1]. However, the management of concentrates is an important
drawback because brine discharges from inland installations still
remains being a problem with not many feasible alternatives [2].
In coastal desalination plants, brines are directly discharged to the
sea, posing adverse environmental effects on the receiving marine
environment [3].
Alternatives aiming at zero liquid discharge, through combination
of different technologies, are highlighted as the most promising
management options [4]. In this work a sequential process
based on the appropriate combination of membrane technologies