Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR DO 16 012
Apply for BOR DO 16 012
- The DOI-BOR in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Salton Seawater Vertical Tube Evaporation & Brine Management Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.506.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 21, 2016 and posted on Apr 21, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 05, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $150,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Salton Seawater Vertical Tube Evaporation (VTE) and Brine Management Project is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR) discretionary funding opportunity aimed at piloting a practical way to treat Salton Sea water by turning it into two main outputs: distilled water and usable salt products. The approach combines membrane treatment (ultra-filtration and nano-filtration) with thermal distillation powered directly by geothermal steam. In other words, it is trying to pair a challenging water source (high-salinity Salton Sea water) with a local energy resource (geothermal heat) to produce cleaner water and recover materials that might have economic value, while also addressing regional environmental and restoration priorities at the Salton Sea.
A central goal is to verify and improve processes that were previously developed under an earlier Vertical Tube Evaporator Demonstration Project that was funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources. This opportunity builds on that earlier work rather than starting from scratch, using an already installed VTE pilot plant and a VTE demonstration plant that was near completion at the time of posting. The project is structured as applied research and development with an emphasis on real-world pilot testing, process validation, and performance improvements, rather than purely laboratory-scale experimentation.
The project is also designed to fit into a broader, complementary set of state and federally funded efforts in the region. One related pilot effort planned to use the distilled Salton Sea water to support marine habitat, while the concentrated brine would help create a salinity gradient solar pond. Solar ponds can store solar heat due to layered salinity differences, so the brine is not just a waste stream but potentially an input to another beneficial system. The proposed grant project adds another important step to that overall concept: before sending remaining salts to the solar pond (or other productive uses), it would pilot test the extraction of marketable salts from the Salton Sea water. That focus on salt recovery is meant to reduce disposal burdens, improve brine management, and potentially create revenue-producing byproducts that help offset operating costs.
Taken together, the opportunity is essentially exploring a linked, integrated system that could be environmentally and economically durable: geothermal-powered distillation produces freshwater; recovered salts become saleable products; remaining brine supports a salinity gradient solar pond; and the distilled water helps sustain habitat. The stated long-term promise is a system that is self-sustaining in both water and salt management, and potentially financially self-sustaining as well, which matters in a region where large-scale restoration and mitigation needs can be expensive and technically difficult.
Administratively, the opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR DO 16 012) was offered as a cooperative agreement under the Science and Technology and other Research and Development activity category (CFDA 15.506). It anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $150,000. The opportunity was posted on April 21, 2016, created the same day, and closed on May 5, 2016. Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Salton Seawater Vertical Tube Evaporation (VTE) and Brine Management Project?
This is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR) discretionary funding opportunity focused on piloting a practical way to treat Salton Sea water. The pilot approach is designed to produce two main outputs: distilled water and usable salt products, while improving how concentrated brine is managed.
What agency is offering this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this program?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BOR DO 16 012.
What type of award is being offered?
The funding is offered as a cooperative agreement.
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.506.
How much funding is available?
The opportunity anticipated a single award with an award ceiling of $150,000.
How many awards were expected?
The opportunity anticipated making a single award.
When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?
The opportunity was posted on April 21, 2016 (and created the same day) and closed on May 5, 2016.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full announcement.
What problem is this project trying to solve?
The project targets the challenge of managing and treating high-salinity Salton Sea water. It is designed to create cleaner water through distillation and to reduce disposal burdens by recovering salts as usable products and improving overall brine management.
What are the main outputs the project aims to produce?
The project aims to produce (1) distilled water and (2) usable/marketable salt products from Salton Sea water.
What treatment approach is being piloted?
The approach combines membrane treatment (ultra-filtration and nano-filtration) with thermal distillation. The thermal distillation is powered directly by geothermal steam.
Why is geothermal energy part of the approach?
The concept is to pair a difficult water source (high-salinity Salton Sea water) with a local energy resource (geothermal heat/steam) to power distillation and support an integrated, potentially durable water-and-salt management system.
Is this mainly a laboratory research project or a real-world pilot?
The project is structured as applied research and development with an emphasis on real-world pilot testing, process validation, and performance improvements, rather than purely laboratory-scale experimentation.
Does this opportunity build on prior work?
Yes. A central goal is to verify and improve processes that were developed under an earlier Vertical Tube Evaporator Demonstration Project that was funded by the Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources.
What facilities or equipment are referenced in the opportunity?
The opportunity is intended to build on an already installed VTE pilot plant and a VTE demonstration plant that was near completion at the time the opportunity was posted.
What does "brine management" mean in the context of this project?
In this context, brine management refers to handling the concentrated salty stream produced during treatment. The project aims to reduce disposal burdens by recovering salts as products and by routing remaining brine into complementary beneficial uses (as described in the opportunity).
What is the role of salt recovery in the overall concept?
The grant project adds a step intended to pilot test extraction of marketable salts from Salton Sea water. This focus is meant to reduce disposal burdens, improve brine management, and potentially generate revenue-producing byproducts that could help offset operating costs.
How does this project relate to other efforts in the Salton Sea region?
The opportunity is described as fitting into a broader, complementary set of state and federally funded efforts in the region, supporting an integrated system rather than a stand-alone pilot.
What is a salinity gradient solar pond, and how is it connected to the project?
A salinity gradient solar pond can store solar heat because it has layered salinity differences. In the concept described, concentrated brine from the treatment process could help create that salinity gradient, turning brine into a potential input for another beneficial system instead of only a waste stream.
What is the intended use of the distilled water in related pilot efforts?
A related pilot effort described in the opportunity planned to use distilled Salton Sea water to support marine habitat.
What is the long-term promise described for this integrated system?
The stated long-term promise is a linked system that could be self-sustaining in both water and salt management and potentially financially self-sustaining as well, which is important given the scale and difficulty of restoration and mitigation needs at the Salton Sea.
Is the opportunity described as starting from scratch?
No. It is described as building on earlier development work and leveraging installed or near-complete VTE pilot and demonstration facilities.
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