In April 2022, Professional Engineering, the magazine of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, reported on a portable desalination unit from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The device weighs less than 10 kg, can run on a $50 solar panel, starts at the push of a button and needs no replacement filters. It combines ion concentration polarization with electrodialysis. The prototype produced 0.3 litres per hour and exceeded WHO drinking water guidelines in a test at Boston's Carson Beach.
The report reflected a line of development away from large plants: small, frugal devices for islands, ships or disaster zones, where low maintenance matters more than high output.
Source: Professional Engineering