Admittedly I am not an expert on desalinization ...however, isn’t the SF region sitting smack dab on the Pacific?
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink......
Desalination requires, if not cheap, at least affordable energy. A nuclear powered desalination plant works great. Just look at all the US Navy submarines and aircraft carriers.
"Sitting off the coast of Haiti, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson can make some 400,000 gallons of its own fresh water every day, and much of it will soon be going ashore. The nuclear-powered vessel, which had been heading to its new home port in San Diego when it was diverted to Haiti hours after the quake, has massive desalination capacity — purifying the same ocean saltwater it traverses — and the Vinson has a daily excess of 200,000 gallons "that we can give away," says Cmdr. William McKinley, who oversees the desalination process"
Aircraft carrier U.S.S. Carl Vinson to produce 200,000 gallons/day for Haitians