Water desalination is here. But is it sustainable?

In a very dry state, turning to the sea as a source of water for drinking, bathing and irrigation has its attractions. Desalination is drought-proof — the ocean is one pond we can’t empty so quickly. It’s more expensive, but the cost is relatively stable, and as technology makes the process more efficient, those costs have been trending downward.

But Californians should be leery about desalination as anything more than a backup plan that might be appropriate for a few spots up and down the coast. And that’s not just because the process involves sucking up some fish larvae, and spitting out brine (which is quickly diluted) or even because it’s an electricity hog. (The California State Water Project is the single biggest user of electricity in the state because of the energy needed to move water from one place to another — especially over the Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California, but desalination, gallon for gallon, uses far more power.)

Other improvements to desal are expected to bury pipes so they don’t affect sea life, reduce electrical use and use solar and wind energy to power what’s needed. Poseidon Water already plans to place solar panels at its Huntington Beach facility, if it gets the OK to build it, but that covers only a fraction of the plant’s electrical needs. It also is looking for ways to purchase solar power directly — perhaps by buying its own solar array in the desert.

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