Water, water, everywhere…
by Timlynn Babitsky
Think “wind power” — and electricity, generators, light bulbs, and air conditioners all pop into mind. But the city of Seminole has a pilot project in the works that will use wind power to desalinate groundwater to make drinkable water. How will they do that you ask?
The Seminole pilot project is a collaboration between the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA), Texas Tech University, and this west Texas town. Groundwater will be pumped from the deep, brackish Santa Rosa aquifer to a reverse osmosis plant that will make the water drinkable for the town’s residents. To help power that osmosis plant – a wind turbine will do the job.
Charles Stone, ORCA’s executive diretor notes that if this project is successful, it “…could be a road map for how our rural communities can use wind power to help meet future water needs.”
To read more on this story and to follow the project as it unfolds, check out North American WindPower (both on line and in print) for some of the latest, breaking news on “big wind” projects and the wind industry in general.