What would desalination mean for us?
Desalination of ocean water works and it could be the answer to our problems. But I've been told that water from fresh sources must first reach a price of more than $1,000 an acre foot before the cost of desalination becomes viable. How much they're willing to spend is a question most coastal communities must answer for themselves.
But if water is selling for $1,000 an acre foot, what will that mean for our communities? Will the good people living (and voting) in our irrigation districts start looking at "their" water as a way of lowering other costs, such as electricity? After all, selling a mere 10,000 acre feet would net $10 million. And think what that could do to the bottom line of any of our irrigation districts.
Oakdale is already looking at selling water it saves from modernization to cover the cost of making those improvements. It is a prudent plan for a district whose facilities are in dire, dire need of repair. But if that water leaves the area, it will establish a precedent for good or ill.
It will be interesting to see, as the value of water continues to climb, if people around here will become willing to exchange their birthrights for steady income.
-- md
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Several news articles on
Several news articles on seawater desalination reveal that desalination technology is little understood by most journalists, local water managers, politicians and environmental groups. In searching for renewable potable water or supplementing current sources few are aware that there is more than one desalination technology.
When evaluating a desalination project Reverse Osmosis is typically the process considered. Yet, there is a viable and proven alternative in distillation with lower costs. Lower costs equal to the natural water sources.
Israeli technology
As promised - here is the link to the Israeli technology currently being used by some of the coastal power plants in California. True - it's being used to keep boilers cool and the plants are a readily available source of power.
Would it make sense to put large-scale desal plants next to power plants?
You decide ...
http://www.ide-tech.com/
Desalination
The crew was hired by a Honolulu-based company that is desalinating deep seawater aboard a vessel off Oahu and then marketing it as an ingredient free of impurities.
The company projects that it can become a $50-million business in two years, eventually pumping 500,000 gallons (1.8 milion liters) of fresh deep seawater a day. It also hopes to develop its shipboard technology as an emergency source for drinking water.