The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking pre-proposals in three categories for desalination research and studies, pilot-plant activities, and demonstration projects. Improving desalination technologies to make them more affordable and accessible is one of the principles of the Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton's Water 2025 initiative to help prevent crises and conflict over water resources in the West.
Water 2025 will help manage scarce water resources and develop partnerships to nourish a healthy environment and sustain a vibrant economy in the 17 western states. It encourages voluntary water banks and other market-based measures, promotes the use of new technology for water conservation and efficiency as well as research to reduce the cost of desalination, and seeks to remove institutional barriers to increase cooperation and collaboration among federal, state, tribal, and private organizations.
The Request for Pre-Proposals (RFP) can be found on Reclamation's website at www.usbr.gov/pmts/acquisitions/AAMSsol.html, by sending an email to rjackson@do.usbr.gov, or by sending a fax to (303) 445-6345. The pre-proposals are due no later than Feb. 27, 2004.
The research and studies pre-proposals are for research projects of 12 months or less duration in five separate task areas. The five areas are: Membrane Process Research Studies, Thermal Process Research and Studies, Non-Traditional and Alternative Desalination Research and Studies, Ancillary and Economic Improvements, and Concentrate Issues.
The pilot-plant activities are for testing of innovative pilot-scale desalination systems for 24 months' duration or less. Funding for the second year of the project is contingent upon successful completion of the first year's activities. The primary objective of this category is to cost-share the design, fabrication, and testing of laboratory-scale systems, processes and concepts ready for upgrading to pilot-scale systems.
The demonstration project pre-proposals are for projects of 36 months duration or less. The primary objective of this category is to cost-share the design, construction, and testing of innovative demonstration-scale systems and processes ready for final upscaling prior to commercialization.
For more information on Water 2025, go to www.doi.gov/water2025.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
