I support the comments below ...
Published by Harry Beyer, Principal Water Engineer
I support the comments below that advise sampling is essential, that is unless it is a very small plant and you are able/prepared to risk having to make modifications during commissioning.
Sample not just for salinity but for temperature, suspended solids, organic material etc'. The sampling must replicate the proposed intake design - consider if it is beach well, nearshore, offshore and near surface or at depth. Sampling should ideally be over 12 months but at least 6 months covering both warm and cool seasons. Consider also some trials to validate the proposed pre-treatment. Good pre-treatment is the key to success and to design that you need good information about about the range of raw water quality.
I would also advocate for baseline environmental monitoring at the proposed brine discharge location and brine discharge plume modelling to ensure the risk of short-circuiting is minimal.
Lots of things to consider!