Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water::A new solar desalination system takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight. The system flushes out accumulated salt, so replacement parts aren’t needed often, meaning the system could potentially produce drinking water that is cheaper than tap water.
Nothing about this is “new”.
Evaporating water and catching it has been the way to produce fresh water since, like ever. But it’s slow, and prone to bacteria.
The “new” is the way they’re doing it
Apparently they solved the issue of how to keep the waste salt from clogging up the system.
No they didn’t. It’s never been an issue. Just don’t evaporate all water and use a new batch of salt water before the previous one gets saturated. Availability of salt water usually isn’t the issue.