This review reports all the analytical tools used for the membrane autopsies in seawater feed. Furthermore, we detail the possibilities of all the different types of new possibilities of pretreatments before reverse osmosis (RO) such as microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration or membrane bioreactors. The last part gives an account of brine disposal and the possibilities of reusing RO modules for wastewater treatment. For this review a discussion about fresh water prices took place.