Stupid article. The solution is always the simplest answer. In this case, it is one word: DESALINIZATION
The Pacific Ocean is 64 million sq. miles with an average depth of 12,925 ft. Assuming 50% conversion salt water to fresh water, reducing the depth of the Pacific Ocean by one foot would provide 518.7 billion gallons of potable water.
Remember that to do that you also have to drain all the other seas by one foot so you'd probably get an unimaginable amount of water.