[ckilmer]

What's not said in this article is that the US government currently favors bulk water transfers from Canada because it fits into the NAU model--and not because its economically feasible.

[TrebleRebel]

US$.90 per 264 gallons

seesh that’s 250 times cheaper than bottled water:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/housing/356-486/356-486.html

According to the National Sanitation Foundation, in 1998, the average retail price of one gallon of domestic drinking water ranges from $.80 to $1.20

[theBuckwheat]

The only “shortage” here is the shortage of the will to commit the resources to providing the water that citizens need. Just as with oil, the era of inexpensive water that is potable is over in many cases. That does not mean there is a shortage by any means, for with with water, the oceans are still as full as always. (Indeed, the enviros hope to scare us into accepting GlobalLukeWarming by forecasting the oceans will rise!)

When governments control the public water utility, they are reluctant to invest the capital necessary to made additional capacity available and they are even more reluctant to price the water at a level that makes the utility economically sustainable.

I have seen this with my own eyes, where a city next to the ocean begged me to “conserve” water! I almost rolled on the floor in laughter. There in these cases, there is only a shortage of money.

Indeed, in the extreme case, the Island of Fiji is more than happy to sell you all the bottled fresh water you want, and FedEx is more than happy to deliver airplane loads of Fiji Water bottles anywhere in the developed world overnight.

So, let me repeat, there is no shortage of water. Shortage of free water, or nearly free water, yes indeed. Shortage of the will and determination to commit the capital to build a water treatment plant that turns sea water into fresh water, yes indeed. Shortage of whining that is structured, marketed and tuned to advance various ideological and socialist agendas? An never-ending supply.

[Buckeye McFrog]

The Aussies saw a billboard that said “Drink Canada Dry”....so they did

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

If the Antarctic ice cap is "calving" huge chunks into the surrounding oceans (as per Gore & friends) why not send some ocean going tugboats down to herd a few back to a "dry dock" and let them melt?

Regards,
GtG

[PAR35]

The US has options, one of which is desalination. Australia has far fewer options.

And in the US, the economics of desalization versus import are going to be different in San Diego than they would be for Denver.

[SuziQ]

I thought it started raining cats and dogs in Australia this week! Sounds like they ought to have some way of capturing that rainfall. I’m sure the Sheep ranches in the Outback have collection systems!