How the KNeW Process turns brackish water into K, N and W.
The KNeW Process is the zero-waste engine inside the Desalus service. Here is how a nutrient-rich inland stream — anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 mg/L TDS — is separated into clean water, recovered nitrogen and recovered potassium, with no brine left to manage.
How the KNeW Process works, step by step
Five stages take a nutrient-rich inland stream from intake to three clean products — water, nitrogen and potassium — with nothing concentrated into waste.
Characterize the stream
The full-panel water report fixes the chemistry: TDS, the nitrogen species (nitrate, ammonia) and the potassium and co-salts present. This profile sets the recovery targets and the configuration of every downstream stage.
Pre-condition & protect
Suspended solids, hardness and scale-formers are removed first so the selective recovery stages run fouling-free. This is what keeps inland recovery from stalling as TDS climbs toward 50,000 mg/L.
Selectively capture N & K
Ion-selective exchange and separation stages pull the nitrogen and potassium ions out of solution as discrete, concentrated nutrient streams — instead of leaving them mixed in a reject brine.
Recover the water (W)
With the nutrients removed, the bulk water is recovered as clean water at 99%+ — returned to supply or process use rather than lost to an evaporation pond.
Crystallize farm-grade fertilizer
The captured nitrogen and potassium streams are finished into stable, farm-grade fertilizer product ready for offtake — the salts become saleable goods, not sludge.
Close the loop — zero discharge
Water out, fertilizer out, nothing left over. There is no brine stream to pond, haul or inject — the KNeW Process operates at true zero-liquid-discharge.
Why operators choose the KNeW Process
A mechanism is only as good as the outcomes it produces. Here is what step-by-step nutrient recovery changes on the ground.
More water back
99%+ of the stream returns as clean water, easing supply pressure and the cost of importing make-up water.
Fertilizer, fully handled
Recovered nitrogen and potassium become farm-grade fertilizer that Desalus refines and sells — which is what lets Desalus keep your clean-water rate low.
Discharge risk gone
No nitrate-laden brine means the permits and scrutiny attached to nutrient discharge simply don't apply.
No ponds, no hauling
Zero-liquid-discharge removes evaporation acreage, liners, trucking and injection wells from the operating model.
Lower all-in water cost
No capital, no operating burden — you pay only for clean water at an attractive rate per thousand gallons that beats your current treat-and-dispose economics.
Operated as a service
Desalus capitalizes, configures, runs and optimizes the process around your exact water — you simply buy back the clean water it produces.
KNeW Process specifications
The envelope the process is engineered to operate in. Exact recovery and yield are modeled per site from your water report.
| Designed-for TDS | 5,000–50,000 mg/L |
| Water recovery | 99%+ |
| Recovered nutrients | Nitrogen (N) & potassium (K) |
| Brine / reject | None — zero-liquid-discharge |
| Products out | Clean water (to you) + fertilizer (Desalus sells) |
| Best fit | Inland mines, municipalities & industry |
Does nutrient recovery slow the process down?
No — selective capture of nitrogen and potassium is part of the main flow, not a bolt-on. Removing those ions early is precisely what lets the water-recovery stage reach 99%+ without fouling or stalling.
What if my water has little nitrogen or potassium?
The configuration scales to your chemistry. Lower-nutrient streams emphasize water recovery; richer streams yield more fertilizer. The full-panel report determines the balance before any commitment.
Is there really no brine at all?
Correct. Because every major ion class is given a destination — water, nitrogen product or potassium product — there is no leftover concentrate. That is the definition of the zero-waste KNeW Process.
How do I get a number for my site?
Send Desalus your full-panel water quality and volume report. You'll receive a site-specific model of recovered K, N and W, your clean-water rate per thousand gallons, and the capital and disposal costs you avoid.
Model the KNeW Process for your exact stream.
A full-panel water report turns this mechanism into your numbers: recovered water, nitrogen and potassium, your clean-water rate per thousand gallons, and the capital and disposal costs you avoid.
No obligation. Your data drives a site-specific KNeW recovery model and your clean-water rate per thousand gallons.
- Stage-by-stage recovery modeled to your chemistry
- Your attractive clean-water rate per thousand gallons
- Confirmed zero-brine, zero-liquid-discharge operation
- Zero capital outlay — Desalus funds, builds & operates it all