I am surprised this technology has not been in use for decades already.
One of the bigger mistakes of our times, IMO.
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the reason the technology hasn't been in use for decades is that the price has been prohibitively high and the demand wasn't that great.
Now prices are falling as demand increases.
To get perspective on this. The cost of fresh water on the east coast of the USA runs about
$25-50@acre foot. Desalination 5-6 years ago cost about $2000@ acre foot. Now desalination costs about
$600@acre foot. The israelis have a way to do it for
$300@acre foot.
Water for southern california currently runs about
$250@acre foot.
If prices for water desalination continue to fall for the next 10--15 years at the same rate as they have for the last 5-6 years then desalinised sea water will cost the same as water on the east coast.
If you look at precipitation map of the world, you'll notice that most of the world's deserts are right beside the ocean.
Very big things start to happen when the cost of water desalination falls far enough. The biggest thing is that the 21st century civilization becomes very plausible indeed.
How much money has been spent damming rivers, building lakes, rtc, that has kept the price of water relatively low?
If the money spent on the aquaduct to So. Cal, had been spent on a renewable resource like desalinazation, and I would think some kind of power generation/desal plant would be one way to maximize resources, the price could have been competetive long ago.
I am probably just blue-skying it here, as there must be myriad reasons other options were pursued.