[sithadmin]

Because this isn't cost-competitive on a per-gallon basis versus continuing to do business as usual, and the environmental impact of any kind of desalinization can be shockingly negative depending on how the waste output is managed. The process produces a hyper-concentrated sludge of minerals/metals/whatever else was in the water that's toxic to basically anything living. You don't want to just drop it in landfills to leach into ground water / spread on the surface, and piping it out to sea ends up creating a massive dead zone around the outlet.

[mdgrech23]

So is the recommended solution a giant concrete vat that costs a fortune and that's the downside?

[sithadmin]

The ideal solution is to separate and capture useful minerals and metals from the waste, but the current (lack of) cost effectiveness is presently a steep barrier to adoption.