As supplies of fresh water dwindle and the price rises, Californians are turning to the pacific ocean to supplement their water needs. There are now more than two dozen seawater desalination plants in various stages of construction throughout California, including local projects slated for Long Beach, Huntington Beach and Dana Point. San Diego County has the largest and most technologically-advanced seawater desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, capable of sustaining 300,000 residents. The Huntington Beach project will be capable of producing 50 million gallons of drinking water every day.
The majority of Southern California's water comes from Northern California and the Colorado River but costs have risen over the years and show no sign of stopping. Desalination costs however, continue to drop. Desalination technology has been available for years but water was cheap so the technology wasn't feasible. That's no longer the case - desalinated water is now only slightly more expensive than imported water.
Along with seawater desalination, California is promoting water conservation and water recycling. In fact, Orange County boasts an internationally-renowned Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) System, which treats waste water for consumptive use. Go Orange County!
Photo: Desalination Plant in Israel
Wow.... I did not realize that the desalination process is about as expensive as traditional water harvesting. I grew up thinking that taking water out of the ocean is unrealistic.