Seawater Desalination

AMPAC Water Systems builds seawater desalination systems from 100 to 100,000+ GPD at its factory in Woods Cross, Utah. They are reverse osmosis watermakers for boats, offshore platforms, military field units, island sites and land-based plants, and AMPAC has supplied customers in 120+ countries since 1993. Every project is sized against your feed water and daily demand. Call (385) 530-1026 or request a quote.

Seawater desalination models by capacity

Output is per day. Pick by the water you need at peak, then send us the feed water details so we can confirm the fit.

• Small marine and emergency units, 100 to 1,000 GPD: the 150 GPD portable emergency watermaker, and RO watermakers at 100, 200, 300, 600, 800 and 1,000 GPD.
• Marine and commercial units, 1,500 to 6,000 GPD: 1,500, 2,000, twin redundant 2 x 2,000, 3,000, 4,500, 5,000 and 6,000 GPD, plus the ROWPU SW4500, a 4,500 GPD military unit.
• Land-based plants, 3,000 to 80,000 GPD: SW3000-LX, SW4000-LX, SW5000-LX, SW6000-LX, SW9000-LX, SW10K-LX, SW12000-LX, SW20K-LX, SW40K-LX, SW60K-LX and SW80K-LX, plus the SW24000-LX with two 12,000 GPD units on one skid.
• Mobile containerized units, 80,000 GPD and up: the SW80K-LXC, the SW100K-LXC and the SW100K-LX mobile system, which can be built from 20,000 to 160,000 GPD.
• Offshore, explosion-proof Class 1 Division 2: the SW10K-C1D2 (10,000 GPD) and the SW20K Class 1 Division 2 for platforms and other classified areas.

Which type fits your site

Boats and small remote sites usually sit in the 100 to 1,000 GPD range, where size, power draw and ease of service matter most. Platforms and ships need rugged, automated units, which is where the Class 1 Division 2 and ROWPU models come in. Resorts, island communities and industrial sites run the land-based LX series. When the system has to arrive ready to connect to feed, power and discharge, a containerized mobile unit fits.

How seawater reverse osmosis works

Ocean water carries about 35,000 ppm of salt, according to the USGS. A seawater RO system pushes that water through semi-permeable membranes: water passes through and most of the salt stays behind. You get fresh water on one side and a stronger brine on the other, so every project needs a plan for the brine as well as the product water. The USGS, citing the International Desalination Association, notes that more than 300 million people worldwide get their water from desalination plants.

For the full explanation, read our seawater desalination RO guide, why boron removal matters for drinking water and irrigation, and how recovery rate affects brine and energy use. For lower-salinity inland sources, see brackish water RO. For land-based process water, see industrial RO systems.

What to send for a quote

Send the daily volume and peak demand, feed salinity in ppm TDS, water temperature, the power available, and where the brine will go. The engineering team sizes the system against those numbers and replies within 24 hours. The water treatment calculators give a first estimate. Membranes and spares are on the membrane elements and RO parts pages.