Book excerpt: These volumes are part of Encyclopedia of Water Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The three volumes present state-of-the art subject matter of various aspects of Common Fundamentals and Unit Operations in Thermal Desalination Systems such as: Conventional Water Treatment Technologies; Guidelines for Potable Water Purification; Advanced Treatment Technologies for Recycle - Reuse of Domestic Wastewater; Composition of Desalinated Water; Crystallization; Deep Bed Filtration: Modeling Theory and Practice; Distillation ; Rectification; Flocculation and Flocculation Filtration; Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies; Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration; Post-Treatment of Distillate and Permeate; Pre-Cleaning Measures: Filtration; Raw Water Pre-Treatment: Sludge Treatment Technologies; Supercritical Extraction; Potential for Industrial Wastewater Reuse; Treatment of Industrial Wastewater by Membrane Bioreactors; Unconventional Sources of Water Supply; Problem of Non-Condensable Gas Release in Evaporators; Entrainment in Evaporators; Mist Eliminators; Chemical Hazards in Seawater Desalination by the Multistage-Flash Evaporation Technique; Concentration of Liquid Foods; Environmental Impact of Seawater Desalination Plants; Environmental Impacts of Intakes and Out Falls; Industrial Ecology, Water Resources, and Desalination; Rural and Urban Water Supply and Sanitation; Sustainable Development, Water Supply and Sanitation Technology These volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy and Decision Makers.