Ecolab chief says desalination is not the answer to water needs and backs water recycling

Christopher Beck called desalination appealing at first glance, but not a solution to future water challenges. In his view, it requires substantial power, is tied to coastal locations, and can create geopolitical risks if access to water becomes vulnerable.

Beck advocated reusing water, contrasting today’s treatment of “wastewater” with a linear system rather than nature’s water cycle. He cited semiconductor manufacturing: fabs need ultrapure water, and Ecolab has developed technologies to recycle it. Beck said recycling can increase water purity and raise manufacturing yield from 50–60% to 80–85%; he said the value could run into billions. Those figures and that assessment were Beck’s claims in the interview.