The present article discusses the application of a new technology using solar photovoltaic (PV) cell coupled with membrane distillation (MD) in the desalination of tap water. Salinity decreases the palatibility of water and causes long-term health issues. MD is the most promising technology to provide safe and clean drinking water to households and for other applications in small quantities. It consumes less energy than the existing commercial brackish water reverse osmosis (RO; pressure-driven) desalination technology (48%) used for the production of drinking water.

One of the industries that cause pollution of considerable magnitude in Tiruchirapalli district is tannery. Sembattu, the study area known for its location of the airport in the district is a fast developing urban site. Number of tanneries located in the area whose effluents often left untreated affect the land and water of the surrounding regions.