Patent ID: 8114259

Claim:
A method of providing potable water comprising: providing water to be treated having a first concentration of one or more objectionable species dissolved therein; treating a first portion of the water to be treated having the first concentration of the one or more objectionable species dissolved therein in an electrically-driven separation apparatus to produce a first treated water having a second concentration of the one or more objectionable species, the second concentration being less than the first concentration; treating a second portion of the water to be treated having the first concentration of the one or more objectionable species dissolved therein in a pressure-driven separation apparatus selected from the group consisting of a nanofiltration apparatus and a reverse osmosis apparatus to produce a second treated water having a third concentration of the one or more objectionable species, the third concentration being less than the first concentration; and mixing the first treated water having the second concentration of the one or more objectionable species and the second treated water having the third concentration of the one or more objectionable species to produce potable water having a desired TDS content.