“Okay, so that is $0.002196 per gallon. I don’t understand where the common refrain comes from that desalinization plants are not cost effective.”
At the quoted price it would cost CA about $3,000 per acre to water their crops.
My math may be wrong, but let’s walk through that. Would we say that something like tomatoes would need about 3” of water per week? Maybe this is where I’m off. But, at 3” over an acre, which is 43560 sq. ft., that’s 81,460 gallons, at the $0.002196/gallon, I come up with $180 per acre. I didn’t look at the math on the price per gallon, but I’m guessing that’s just the construction cost and doesn’t include operating costs? Is my math wrong?
At $058 per, that's about $1,500 per acre foot.
An acre of almonds (water intensive) uses about 3-4 acre ft/yr.
$5,000/yr per acre.
It would AT LEAST double the cost of almonds...and by extension, all other crops.
It takes, on average, 5,000 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef.
Of course at least 90% of that goes back into the environment at some point in that animal's lifetime. It just may not be immediately useable in California.
Good News! Joe Bastardi is predicting a VERY strong El Nino through the fall. He's expecting heavy early season rains. In California.
We better hope so.
Major, Biblical Disaster if we don't get rain this year.
Perhaps, but it isn't an outrageous price for drinking and washing and would leave more naturally-sourced water for agriculture.