How Does a Desalination Plant Work? The Technology Saving Lives in Gaza

In Gaza, more than 97% of the groundwater is contaminated and unfit to drink. The aquifer that once supplied the territory has been over-extracted and infiltrated by seawater and sewage over decades. Families cannot simply dig a well. The water underground is unsafe. But Gaza sits on the Mediterranean Sea — and that changes what is possible.

Desalination is the process of removing salt and other dissolved minerals from seawater to produce drinking water. In regions like Gaza, where groundwater is undrinkable and infrastructure has been destroyed, desalination is not a luxury. It is the only viable path to safe water for millions of people.

How Does the Desalination Process Work?

The most widely used method today is reverse osmosis. Here is how it works, step by step:

1. Intake. Seawater is drawn in from the sea through pipes, sometimes buried under the seabed to reduce contamination.

2. Pre-treatment. The water passes through filters to remove large particles, sand, algae, and other debris. Chemicals may be added to prevent scaling and biological growth in the membranes.

3. High-pressure pumping. The pre-treated water is pressurised at extremely high levels — often 55 to 80 times atmospheric pressure — and forced through semi-permeable membranes. These membranes have pores so small that salt molecules and most contaminants cannot pass through. Clean water passes through; salt and impurities are rejected.

4. Post-treatment. The desalinated water is remineralised — minerals are added back to make it safe and palatable to drink. pH is adjusted and the water is disinfected before distribution.

5. Distribution. Clean water is stored in tanks and distributed to homes, schools, clinics, and community points.

Why Is Desalination Especially Important in Gaza?

Gaza has one of the highest population densities in the world and almost no natural freshwater sources. The Coastal Aquifer — the only local groundwater supply — was declared critically depleted and contaminated long before the current conflict. In 2024 and 2025, conflict destroyed much of what remained of water infrastructure: pumping stations, distribution networks, and existing desalination plants. Water prices for people forced to buy from private vendors increased by as much as 500%.

Small-scale solar-powered desalination plants have emerged as one of the most effective responses. They do not require grid electricity — a constant problem in Gaza — and can be installed in schools, health centres, and community facilities. A single plant can produce thousands of litres of clean drinking water per day for the surrounding community.

What Does It Cost and What Does It Produce?

The cost of a desalination plant varies significantly based on capacity and technology. A community-scale reverse osmosis unit can be built for between $5,000 and $30,000, depending on output capacity. A plant producing 5,000 litres per day can serve a community of several hundred people. Solar-powered units eliminate ongoing energy costs, making them more sustainable in the long term.

For comparison: the WHO recommends a minimum of 7.5 litres per person per day for basic survival. A well-functioning desalination plant can take a community from crisis-level water access to sufficiency in a matter of weeks.

Human Appeal's Desalination Work in Gaza

Human Appeal is currently supplying and installing five desalination units across health centres and displaced communities in Gaza. The first unit is being installed at Al-Awda Hospital in Al-Nuseirat Camp — bringing safe drinking water to patients, medical staff, and the families living in tents alongside the hospital. In Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, a 20m³ unit has been delivered to Al-Hilal Field Hospital, where severe water shortages have put both medical services and surrounding households under serious strain. Once operational, it will support the hospital’s daily medical activities while extending clean water access to the surrounding community.

Each unit takes time to complete correctly — technical components, testing, standards. But each one represents a community moving from crisis-level scarcity toward something closer to sufficiency.

Sources

• UNICEF Gaza — 97% of groundwater unfit for consumption
• WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme — minimum water requirements
• Oxfam — Gaza water prices up 500% during blockade (2025)
• World Bank — reverse osmosis desalination process and costs
• UN OCHA Gaza Situation Reports — water infrastructure destruction

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