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nationalize the fed

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24. Australia had a 12 year mega drought

Mon Mar 16, 2015, 02:56 AM

Mar 2015

The difference between Australia and the US is that Australia actually did something about it.

The Millenium Drought (1997–2009) led to a water supply crisis across much of the country. A combination of increased water usage and lower rainfall/drought in Australia caused state governments to turn to desalination. As a result several large-scale desalination plants were constructed (see list).

Large-scale seawater reverse osmosis plants (SWRO) now contribute to the domestic water supplies of several major Australian cities including Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast...

Seawater desalination in Australia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawater_desalination_in_Australia

Sydney Desalination Plant

Israel

Israel Desalination Enterprises' Sorek Desalination Plant in Palmachim provides up to 26,000 m³ of potable water per hour (2.300 m³ p.a.). At full capacity, it is the largest desalination plant of its kind in the world. Once unthinkable, given Israel's history of drought and lack of available fresh water resource, with desalination, Israel can now actually produce a surplus of fresh water...more

Estimates vary widely between 15,000–20,000 desalination plants around the world producing more than 20,000 m3/day.

Existing desalination facilities and facilities under construction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination#Existing_facilities_and_facilities_under_construction

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Highlight:

California Running out of Water [View all] C Moon Mar 2015 OP

They better start building desalination plants AgingAmerican Mar 2015 #1

If it were only so easy . . . Journeyman Mar 2015 #2

Necessity AgingAmerican Mar 2015 #3

how do you know that's the best solution? CreekDog Mar 2015 #61

I know that AgingAmerican Mar 2015 #82

Australia, Israel and Saudi Arabia do it. We can too. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #31

Its promise comes with a host of endemic problems and concerns . . . Journeyman Mar 2015 #33

Texas' Water Woes Spark Interest in Desalination Unknown Beatle Mar 2015 #36

You have to have water to recycle water. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #45

I am also skeptical about the quality of water that we will get if we rely on recycled water. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #69

California is the most liberal state in the United States yeoman6987 Mar 2015 #72

how do you know desalination is the most effective solution? CreekDog Mar 2015 #64

Recycling water? Importing water? JDPriestly Mar 2015 #68

No. No. No. No. Not Really High-Speed Rail is MUCH MORE IMPORTANT. cherokeeprogressive Mar 2015 #6

+1 I've heard that for the price of their high-speed rail project jonno99 Mar 2015 #57

SIXTY of them. n/t cherokeeprogressive Mar 2015 #75

My 3700 gallon rainwater storage is almost installed. roody Mar 2015 #7

impressive. Tuesday Afternoon Mar 2015 #9

Using fossil fuels to desalinate seawater is extreme idiocy. hunter Mar 2015 #58

frightening reality marym625 Mar 2015 #4

Where? Link? Inquiring minds want to know! nt raccoon Mar 2015 #37

This is beginning in other places as well. marym625 Mar 2015 #41

thank you for that reminder. I saw a documentary on that very subject re Syria and Water sabrina 1 Mar 2015 #73

It was also part of the documentary series marym625 Mar 2015 #74

Who/what is RT? nt raccoon Mar 2015 #84

Fog catchers? Trillo Mar 2015 #5

Wow! C Moon Mar 2015 #8

Free Rain Barrels for L.A. SleeplessinSoCal Mar 2015 #10

But where's the rain to fill them with? Kablooie Mar 2015 #14

Agreed. C Moon Mar 2015 #19

It doesnt take much rain. ErikJ Mar 2015 #21

+1 C Moon Mar 2015 #46

Theyve talked about tapping water from the Columbia River ErikJ Mar 2015 #11

how would California tap water from the Columbia? nt grasswire Mar 2015 #13

Pipelines of course pumped by wind and water power plants along the Columbia. nt ErikJ Mar 2015 #16

who is "they"? grasswire Mar 2015 #51

I guess the plan was to take it from the mouth of the Columbia ErikJ Mar 2015 #67

Yes, but you have to own the water to do it. Drahthaardogs Mar 2015 #83

Really? KT2000 Mar 2015 #15

Most of Columbia's water comes from the Canadian Rockies. ErikJ Mar 2015 #17

but would Washington KT2000 Mar 2015 #34

Not just no, but hell no. This was hotly debated back in the 60s and 70s hatrack Mar 2015 #40

Thanks for this info - seem to recall KT2000 Mar 2015 #53

I remember them talking about doing this in the 80s. AgingAmerican Mar 2015 #85

Drinking water downstream from Hanford Nuclear Plant...... DeSwiss Mar 2015 #32

Oh for fuck's sake. hunter Mar 2015 #63

don't plan on using Northwest water, neighbors grasswire Mar 2015 #12

There was an op-ed piece in the LA Times recently arguing much the same. But KingCharlemagne Mar 2015 #18

I live in LA but I don't feel an emergency mood here at all. Kablooie Mar 2015 #20

Great point. Decades ago, California had "drought police"... C Moon Mar 2015 #22

We just voted money for water projects. If you are in California and you vote, I hope you JDPriestly Mar 2015 #29

Put the Kardashians on it. ErikJ Mar 2015 #23

We have cut water use by over 20% already I read. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #30

I know! PasadenaTrudy Mar 2015 #54

Australia had a 12 year mega drought nationalize the fed Mar 2015 #24

Very interesting. We are going to have to have massive amounts of desalinization. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #28

Interesting take. I'd never thought about comparing energy costs like that. C Moon Mar 2015 #47

Arid desert climate, high rate of development: What could possibly go wrong? Populist_Prole Mar 2015 #25

Just barely. KamaAina Mar 2015 #49

Desalination will, in my opinion, be necessary, regardless of cost. JDPriestly Mar 2015 #26

So far it's not even being discussed. The consensus is that it's too expensive... Kablooie Mar 2015 #27

"The consensus is that it's too expensive..." Nuclear Unicorn Mar 2015 #56

Meanwhile, Rice and Almond farms continue unabated.............. thelordofhell Mar 2015 #35

Rice uses tons of water...which is why it was grown so much in colonial lowcountry SC. nt raccoon Mar 2015 #38

Yeah, I saw a program on almond farming being a huge water sucker. C Moon Mar 2015 #48

Golly gee... 99Forever Mar 2015 #39

I think current water systems just did not keep up to the rising population/longer term average. Yo_Mama Mar 2015 #42

So much waste, so many thieves. raouldukelives Mar 2015 #43

Wow, that would be really scary.... Act_of_Reparation Mar 2015 #44

What would happen is that California will do further water restrictions, that's all AZ Progressive Mar 2015 #50

Thanks. You're right about the quote. C Moon Mar 2015 #70

I am sitting across from a car wash ghostsinthemachine Mar 2015 #52

If it's Folsom Glenn Car Wash, it's a certified green car wash Brother Buzz Mar 2015 #59

it is ghostsinthemachine Mar 2015 #60

The certified green water goes back into the American river so Sacramento can use it Brother Buzz Mar 2015 #62

car washes are not big water wasters Amishman Mar 2015 #65

Message auto-removed Name removed Mar 2015 #55

rain barrels aren't going to solve a drought problem CreekDog Mar 2015 #66

They'll just take it from poor people. Need all the water they can get for all the valerief Mar 2015 #71

I wondered how the dairy industry would be able to survive on a desert? midnight Mar 2015 #76

California is becoming lactose intollerant. C Moon Mar 2015 #77

Interesting. midnight Mar 2015 #78

It was a lame attempt on my part at a joke. Didn't work too well. :) C Moon Mar 2015 #79

States Dangle Water to Tempt California Dairy Farmers IDemo Mar 2015 #80

O that's allright. midnight Mar 2015 #81