California Drought: Is desalination the solution?
Desalination is a controversial topic, due to its environmental impacts, energy use and monetary cost. California currently has 12 desalination plants, but there could be many more in the future. DWR is offering $6 million in financial assistance to support desalination projects that will help develop new sources of local water supplies in California, according to a news release from DWR. While desalination is a complex process, [Kris Tjernell, deputy director of the Integrated Watershed Management with the California Department of Water Resources] described it as “simply the removal of salts and other impurities from water, such that it becomes available for drinking water, agricultural irrigation and other potential uses.”