§ 73. Sir R. Robinsonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what has been the result of discussions between scientists of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Dutch scientists on the electro-dialysis process to draw dissolved salts out of sea-water; what would be 80W the cost of producing fresh water from the sea by this means; and what other countries are collaborating with this project.
§ Mr. H. NichollsFollowing small-scale experimental work, larger scale equipment has been designed and made, and a long-term trial on the removal of salts from sea-water is being carried out at Scheveningen.
It is too early to make firm estimates of production costs, but work so far indicates that other processes, e.g. distillation, will be cheaper for the treatment of sea-water. For brackish waters, such as occur in many parts of the world, electro-dialysis is expected to be the most economic process.
The countries collaborating in the work are The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, South Africa, Israel, Greece and Pakistan.