Why didn't California use desalination plants before the drought got this bad?

2015-04-29T15:21:16-04:00

With the California drought going on year 3, why haven't they looked at using desalination plants earlier? It would appear that the plants would provide some relief and help the farmers.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/california-drought-forces-santa-barbara-to-reopen-mothballed-desalination-plant-1.3045799

California drought forces Santa Barbara to reopen mothballed desalination plant

The historic drought has forced the city of Santa Barbara to reactivate a desalination plant that has been mothballed since the late-1990s. About a dozen new desalination plants, expensive options, are also being proposed across the state.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Apr 29 at 2015 3:25 PM

2015-04-29T15:25:39-04:00

Control

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 29 at 2015 3:26 PM

2015-04-29T15:26:27-04:00

Why doesn't the unconstitutional EPA and lunatic environmentalists in CA stop draining reservoirs and destroying irrigation methods in order to help a fish species breed at the expense of human turmoil.

Response by Col Joseph Lenertz made Apr 29 at 2015 3:41 PM

2015-04-29T15:41:25-04:00

Money money money. CA is in debt, unlike the oil nations in the Middle East. Just wait, they will ask the federal government (meaning, us taxpayers) to pay for desal plants.

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Apr 29 at 2015 4:07 PM

2015-04-29T16:07:44-04:00

The reason they didn't look at using them before, is because Desalinization is a "stop-gap" measure, not a solution.

Pardon the phrase, but it's "#$%^#%^ where you live/eat." From the article, each gallon of fresh water produced, produces a gallon of brine which is dumped back into the ocean, which in turn threatens the marine life.

California is an Arid Plain. Though it can support a lot of people it really never should have supported as many people as live there now. It has hit "viral" levels of humanity, and areas like San Francisco/ Oakland & Los Angeles / San Diego are just too populated.

Add in the farm crops, industrial, etc, and we have the "boat with a hole" issue. You can only bail water so fast. Or in this case, we're using it far faster than we can recover.

Response by SPC Carl K. made Apr 29 at 2015 4:19 PM

2015-04-29T16:19:42-04:00

I had always heard that desalination was way too expensive to be a reliable option. I never bought that excuse. Quite frankly, I would be willing to bet that if they did try and use desalination plants, the EPA would come in and stop them because they were endangering some form of wildlife like the spotted elfen whorehound, or some other such thing.

In the end, I believe this was foreseeable, and I think California only has itself to blame for not funding water replenishment projects. They could have spent their money in more deserving programs like this than throwing all that money into what they did to put them in their financial dire straits.

Response by 1LT Nick Kidwell made Apr 29 at 2015 4:56 PM

2015-04-29T16:56:25-04:00

Lack of foresight?

Solar desalinization would be even cheaper than fuel-fired plant, albeit slower.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 30 at 2015 8:33 AM

2015-04-30T08:33:57-04:00

This is a symptom of a much larger problem both for the US and the world. Fact is the world is not coming to an end and since %70 of this blue marble is covered in water mankind will overcome this just like other challenges faced in our existence. We are making continually rapid advances on every front. While this will be a challenge and water rights will be fought over vehemently we will find and apply solutions when forced to. Then we will help our neighbors around the world solve the same problem, that is what we do.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21494919/ns/us_news-environment/t/crisis-feared-us-water-supplies-dry/#.VUId3iFVhBc

Crisis feared as U.S. water supplies dry up

Across America, the picture is critically clear — the nation’s freshwater supplies can no longer quench its thirst. The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years.