why can’t we use dirt to process salt water

Question

If we pumped salt water onto land, would it filter the salt out while adding to our underground water source?

In: 21

Answer 1

Nope. Regular filters don’t work on dissolved salt.

You have to actively push the water through, in a process called “reverse osmosis”, which is frankly, incredibly expensive.

And that’s without the environmental disaster you get from pumping tons of salt into the ground. There’s a reason the Romans salted Carthage after they burned it, too much salt prevents things from growing.