Oman to Increase Desalination

Oman plans to tap water from desalination sources because the demand for drinking water is expected to grow, according to a report.

The demand for desalinated water will rise to 53.5 billion gallons a year by 2015 from 22.5 billion gallons a year in 2008, the Oman Water Report Q3 2010 revealed.

According to state-owned Oman Power & Water Procurement, Oman requires an extra 31 million gallons per day of desalinated water to meet its water requirements.

The country also plans to boost its capacity through desalination and does not want to divert water consumed by agriculture, which accounts for 93% of its water use.