skiveman t1_jec21qm wrote on March 30, 2023 at 10:33 PM

The main cost here is the energy cost. It costs a lot of money to power these plants. A secondary concern is what do you do with the various salts that you remove? Dump them back in the water? That would increase the local salinity levels and increase the energy costs needed to remove ever more saltier water.

Solar power could help, but the sheer amount of solar panels and batteries (to power during night) would make it rather expensive - as well as increase the local heat island effect.

Antman013 t1_jec925g wrote on March 30, 2023 at 11:23 PM

Small, modular, nuclear reactors would be ideal for this, I would think.

As to the salts, truck them to locations with "winter" in order to clear roads. Also, aren't the oceans becoming less "salty" due to polar ice cap loss?

skiveman t1_jedwu7d wrote on March 31, 2023 at 9:12 AM

Small nuclear reactors probably would be perfect for the job. It would also be a good way to improve security around desalination plants in the future.

Although, I think if water security really did begin to get pressing then I would imagine that the government would step in to set up reservoirs and water networks to bring water to where it's needed over a much bigger distance. The US relies on their river networks because (like nearly every country in the world) settlements were built on rivers and next to easily potable water. If climate conditions change and lakes and rivers dry up then I've no doubt that public works (and money) would be fired up to build new infrastructure. With the added benefit that construction jobs would be created.

Antman013 t1_jee1425 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 10:12 AM

There have been studied. The costs to bring those volumes of water to where it's needed make it nigh on impossible.

skiveman t1_jee6j89 wrote on March 31, 2023 at 11:18 AM

At present, that is. If the cost of clean water gets high enough then it becomes economical for both desalination plants to create profit but also so that civil construction projects make financial and resource security sense.

Antman013 t1_jegq04b wrote on March 31, 2023 at 10:02 PM

You also have to consider the volumes of water needed by drought stricken areas like the US southwest.

California uses 1.8 million barrels of oil per day.

California uses about 91 gallons of water per day per person. That translate into 84.5 million barrels a day.

The construction costs, and engineering required to moved THAT volume of water across the country make it completely unfeasible.