Is desalination of seawater considered more economically viable or 'sustainable' than desalination of saline ground water, given that the second method may also aid in alleviating salinity? Thank you.
As usual the answer is IT DEPENDS
It depends mainly on processes involved (energy and chemical consumption) - here you can find good and bad solutions for both sea water and ground water desal - and waste streams generated and how they are treated/disposed.