Thirty miles north of San Diego, along the shores of the Pacific Coast, people can find the Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. This mammoth treatment plant covers most of the county's freshwater with its technological advantage of turning the saltwater to drinkable source to its locals.
Each day, about 100 million gallons of seawater is collected. It is pushed directly through semi-permeable membranes to create 50 gallons of fresh water that will be delivered to the community. The Carlsbad plant became operational in 2015, and since then, it became the source of at least 10% of the total freshwater consumable in the region. It provides fresh water for the 3.1 million people in the area, but its water costs twice as much as the other water sources.
The water may be expensive, but it has become vital for the community mainly because it has always been reliable. "Drought has always been a recurring phenomenon here in California," said Jeremy Crutchfield, manager of the San Diego County Water Authority. "We just came out of the drought in 2017 that lasted for five years. The presence of the plant has reduced our need and dependence on imported water supply. Sometimes, it's challenging for the residents in California. The plant makes up for the component that's reliable."
Another plant, similar to Carlsbad is under construction in Huntington, California. It is designed to have the same 50-million gallon capacity as the one in Carlsbad. Currently, there are already 11 desalination plants in California, and it looks like there are 10 other new ones that are being proposed.
Experts are saying that it has been a long time coming that desalination plants would be needed for communities to survive. The growing population in the area and the continued use of freshwater resources, not to mention the ever-increasing problem on pollution, have put these resources at risk. For decades, experts have warned that one day, the world may need a technology that could transform ocean water into fresh water and this is all to quench the world's thirst. However, the problem is already setting in, but the technology is taking too long to develop.
However necessary the desalination process may be, it poses a danger to the environment. It takes 100 gallons of saltwater to produce 50 gallons of freshwater. What is left of it becomes more concentrated and when it goes back into the sea, it could cause an imbalance in the presence of oxygen in the water. This could affect marine life and their survival.
However, the desalination industry is now changing its pace. With more and more countries needing technology, they are bringing it closer to communities. Several factors have been considered to establish lines for new plants. In many water-stressed areas in the world, including cities in China, India and South Africa, the population is growing rapidly. Besides, drought and other changes brought about by global warming has made it impossible for freshwater supply to meet the demands.
The industry of desalination is growing, and it remains hopeful that it could help solve the freshwater shortage problems across the globe.
