Mexico faces serious water supply problems in many regions as a result of poor natural spatial and temporal distribution. Desalination of brackish or salty water is an option used in many countries to produce water for human consumption, industrial processes and high-market value crops in greenhouses. The principal desalination processes are reviewed and the factors affecting costs are analyzed in this paper The average cost of desalinating brackish water is USD 0.35/m3 and seawater is 1.54/m3. The cost of treating water wih a package plant with a yield of 1,900m3/day is USD 2.65/m3 when the electricity rate is approximately USD 0.12/kWh. The principal environmental effects cia desalinating plant are seen during construction The increase in electricity consumption, the emission of nitrogen-containing compounds and oxygen, the formation of brine, the action of the intaker and the possible population increase around the plant may also have an environmental impact.
