A desalination system, comprising: a desalination apparatus comprising: first and second electrodes (31,32); a first group of paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a first group of alternating first and second channels (34,35), the first channels configured to receive a first feed stream for desalination and the second channels configured to receive a second feed stream to carry away ions removed from the first feed stream, respectively; a plurality of spacers disposed between each pair of the adjacent ion exchange membranes and between the first and second electrodes and the respective ion exchange membranes; and wherein each of the ion exchange membranes in the first group is a cation exchange membrane, wherein the desalination apparatus further comprises a second group of the paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first group of the ion exchange membranes and at least one of the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a second group of the alternating first and second channels (34',35'), and wherein the second group of the ion exchange membranes comprises a plurality of alternating cation and anion exchange membranes; wherein the desalination apparatus further comprises ion exchange resin filled into the first channels of the second group of the alternating first and second channels; wherein the first channels of the second group of the alternating first and second channels are configured to receive a liquid from the first channels of the first group of the alternating first and second channels. a desalination apparatus comprising: first and second electrodes (31,32); a first group of paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a first group of alternating first and second channels (34,35), the first channels configured to receive a first feed stream for desalination and the second channels configured to receive a second feed stream to carry away ions removed from the first feed stream, respectively; a plurality of spacers disposed between each pair of the adjacent ion exchange membranes and between the first and second electrodes and the respective ion exchange membranes; and wherein each of the ion exchange membranes in the first group is a cation exchange membrane, wherein the desalination apparatus further comprises a second group of the paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first group of the ion exchange membranes and at least one of the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a second group of the alternating first and second channels (34',35'), and wherein the second group of the ion exchange membranes comprises a plurality of alternating cation and anion exchange membranes; first and second electrodes (31,32); a first group of paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a first group of alternating first and second channels (34,35), the first channels configured to receive a first feed stream for desalination and the second channels configured to receive a second feed stream to carry away ions removed from the first feed stream, respectively; a plurality of spacers disposed between each pair of the adjacent ion exchange membranes and between the first and second electrodes and the respective ion exchange membranes; and wherein each of the ion exchange membranes in the first group is a cation exchange membrane, wherein the desalination apparatus further comprises a second group of the paired ion exchange membranes disposed between the first group of the ion exchange membranes and at least one of the first and second electrodes (31,32) to form a second group of the alternating first and second channels (34',35'), and wherein the second group of the ion exchange membranes comprises a plurality of alternating cation and anion exchange membranes; wherein the desalination apparatus further comprises ion exchange resin filled into the first channels of the second group of the alternating first and second channels; wherein the first channels of the second group of the alternating first and second channels are configured to receive a liquid from the first channels of the first group of the alternating first and second channels.