Yuma Desalting Plant
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| Aerial view of Yuma Desalting Plant Complex |
The Yuma Desalting Plant is located on a 24-hectare (60-acre) tract of land about 8 kilometers (5 miles) west of Yuma. As the world's largest reverse osmosis desalting plant, it can produce about 275,000 cubic meters or 275 million liters (72.4 million gallons) of desalted water per day from a total of up to approximately 390,000 cubic meters or 390 million liters (102.7 million gallons) of drainage water per day, the maximum capacity that can enter the plant. If the need later exists, the plant can be expanded to produce 363,000 cubic meters or about 363 million liters (96 million gallons) per day.
Yuma Desalting Plant Goals:
The Yuma Desalting Plant, when operating, accomplishes two main goals:
- It helps the United States meet salinity requirements for Colorado River water delivered to Mexico
- It desalts and salvages the drainage water that otherwise would be too saline to deliver to Mexico, thus saving the U.S. up to 97 million cubic meters (78,000 acre-feet) of Colorado River water per year.