Desalination is the process of removing salt and minerals from saline water to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption or irrigation. It involves pre-treating saline water from oceans to remove particles, then using reverse osmosis membranes to separate dissolved minerals and salts from the water. The fresh water is then conditioned and disinfected before being distributed. Desalination provides clean drinking water but has disadvantages such as high costs, environmental impacts from waste and chemicals, large land use, and high energy consumption.