DESALINATION:

An Ocean of Fresh Water

This map shows pipelines designed to carry desalted wter from the ocean to cities of the L.A. basin. Heavy lines would be major arterials, narrow lines would be submains, from which branch lines feed water to earthquake-resistant reservoirs in each neighborhood. Dotted lines show supplemental intrabasin and emergency transfer routes. Triangles are existing coastal electric power stations which could cogenerate desalted water. Grey areas are above 500' elevation.

The distribution system has been designed so that the largest amount of water is delivered to the most people:

  • over the shortest distances through the straightest pipes, to reduce fuel wasted by pumping and friction.
  • across the most gradual uphill slopes to minimize pumping any higher than necessary. Arterials lay in valleys, thus submains go uphill from either side. Rivers and sewers follow gravity, so their routes reversed are easiest uphill grades. Railroads and freewasy likewise climb slowly. Where downslope pipelines are unavoidable, low-head hydropower will reclaim some energy used.
  • along existing rights-of-way, to iminize disruption of presentl land use or ecolonization process.

    • The system would expand with desalination capacity, proven reliability and public acceptance. First serving the large population below 200' elevation, pipelines might soon extend to 500' above sea level. Highland populations would pay less for truck delivery of drinking water than they do today, until pipelines reach 1,000' at the north rim of the San Fernando Valley, and eastern San Gabriel Valley. Then prices would further reduce. However, water rate zoning would charge more for water pumped farther and higher. Desalinated water would initially be blended with imported water.

    Most oil burned in present coastal power plants produces waste heat-- only 25-35% of the oil actually becomes electricity. The waste heat can be used to desalinate ocean water. This is a form of cogeneration. Gradually we could rely on fields of solar motors to provide the 213 degrees F needed to desalinate. They would further secure us from earthquakes and oil embargoes. We need to desalinate at the ocean rather than pump salt water across town, because brine would leak from pipes into soil. This would damage urban agriculture and groundwater.

    Why Desalinate?

    Presently we rely on imported water, which is subject to disruption by:
  • Drought: recurrence of the 1976 shortage would require severe rationing.
  • Earthquake: most water crosses the San Andreas Fault and is piped to our houses across numerous local faults, as in the 1971 quake.
  • Power Failure: 1984 blackout required use of local wells for one-third L.A. city supply.
  • Sabotage: 1985 threat to put plutonium in New York City water endangered millions.
  • Increased Demand: as local population grows and other regions require larger shares of Northern Californian and Colorado River waters, less will be available to Los Angeles.

    • Local groundwater provides large proportions of county water use and is subject to disruption by:

  • Drought: low-snowfall seasons in mountains and overdrafted wells can seriously cut supply.
  • Contamination: carcinogenic chemicals dumped from thousands of local industries destroy groundwater. Many wells have closed because toxics like tricholoroethylene (TCE), benzene, chloroform and toluene are spreading beneath us.

    • DESALTING THE OCEAN WOULD PROVIDE:

  • Limitless supplies of clean water.
  • More control of quality, to improve public health.
  • Less fuel demand for pumping (especially with solar motors).
  • More water for deep mulched drip-irrigated urban agriculture.
  • Revival of Owens Valley for cropland.

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