The sub-seabed seawater intake and partial pre-treatment system Neodren from Catalana de Perforacions (CP), installed using Horizontal Directional Drilling, is a reliable economical and ecological solution for sandy and carstic coastal areas. Main features are: no impingement and no entrainment of aquatic organism, absolute low turbidity and no microorganism in the Neodren filtrate, no or nearly no pre-treatment chemicals, no impact on the environment during installation and operation.

Publications with false and/or misleading statements have contribute in the last years in the US to discredit this technology. But, by way of example, a Neodren system at a SWRO desalination plant in Spain is operated with 172,800 m³/d continuously since 2003.

I have no commercial relation with CP, but as engineer and having received the PhD on desalination of seawater with RO as well as having been engaged in different scouting missions and assessments addressing seawater íntake issues, I consider that Neodren is an absolute viable and resource efficient solution for seawater intake, especially if contamination or algal bloom are limiting factors for other seawater pre-reatment possibilities.