Coastal states that have droughts or water shortages, but also have an ocean on one of their borders … have a solution.
It’s called desalination.
Here are 4 things you should know:
- Israel has proved it works.
Israel has an arid climate – similar to California.
About 10 years ago, Israel commissioned a series of 5 privately-built and operated seawater desalination plants. These plants now supply 70% of the country’s drinking water. A 6th facility is in the planning stages.
- Technology has advanced to make desalination more energy-efficient.
Israel’s desalination plants use a reverse osmosis process that’s more energy efficient than previous desalination technologies.
The small geographic size of the state of Israel doesn’t allow it to power its desalination plants with solar power. It uses power supplied from primarily natural gas power plants.
States such as California could use a combination of nuclear power, power from natural gas power plants, and power supplied from large solar farms.
While California does have one large reverse osmosis plant in Carlsbad, development of additional desalination facilities is being hindered by unnecessary government regulations and by protests of environmentalists.
- Seawater desalination is economically affordable.
Desalinated water in both Israel and California costs less than one cent per gallon to produce – less than $1 for each 100 gallons of water used. Assuming daily use of 100 gallons of water per person, a family of 4 would pay around $120 per month for desalinated water – about the same as they are currently paying.
- Private companies can and should build and initially operate seawater desalination plants, not the government.
The private sector is always more efficient in infrastructure construction projects than governments.
Coastal states in the U.S. should follow the example of Israel and contract with private companies to build and operate desalination facilities.
Critics of a seawater desalination program argue that above-average rainfall could:
- render the desalinated water unneeded
- result in evaporation of the stored desalinated water
- result in the waste of energy used to produce the desalinated water
Advocates on the other hand argue these are reasonable risks and costs of guaranteeing a reliable supply of water.
What do you think? Should states like California depend heavily on adequate winter snowfall to provide its year-round water needs?
Email me at [email protected]
Here are the rest of this week’s articles:
- Exposed: Under-the-Radar Deep State Election Stealing by Manipulating the 2020 Census: 7 Things They Don’t Want You to Know
- Why Free College Is a Big Mistake: 4 Surprising Reasons the Politicians and Media Won’t Tell You
- Amazing! Criminal Justice Reform at Last [Videos]
- Disturbing: Murder of Full-Term Unborn Children Legalized [Videos]