There is a seawater desalination plant under construction in southern California. So that will help some when it comes on line.
However, enviro extremists are against desalination. Reasons they give are that these plants are powered by fossil fuels, and that the plants produce waste, mainly sea salt and other minerals in sea water, which needs to be handled somehow. For these reasons, I expect battles over building any more desalination plants in California.
The Carlsbad plant is about 70% complete.
No problem. Use nuclear power. That’l really get their panties in a wad. And to give them something to think about while they waste time on that decision, cut off all the water coming in from Arizona.
Santa Barbara has another desalination plant they mothballed years ago that they are reactivating.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-santa-barbara-desal-20150303-story.html
Perhaps the sea salt and mineral by-products may be used, somehow. (We could use the salt for the mountain roads in winter. That would REALLY upset the enviros.)
“that the plants produce waste, mainly sea salt and other minerals in sea water, which needs to be handled somehow”
How about toss it back into the sea?
“However, enviro extremists are against desalination. Reasons they give are that these plants are powered by fossil fuels, and that the plants produce waste, mainly sea salt and other minerals in sea water, which needs to be handled somehow. For these reasons, I expect battles over building any more desalination plants in California.”
Just tell them that windmills will power these plants. And then watch their heads explode.