By Daniel Munch
Key Takeaways
- Desalination may help expand municipal and industrial supplies, but its cost, energy and infrastructure requirements make it unfeasible as a direct replacement for large-scale agricultural irrigation.
- Estimates for new seawater desalination in California reach $3,400 to $3,700 per acre-foot — more than twice the roughly $1,444 in average gross farm revenue generated per acre-foot of applied water.
- Even at $3,000 per acre-foot, desalinated water would add roughly $6,900 to $11,250 per acre for representative lettuce, strawberry and almond operations already facing negative margins.
- Farm and household water are not the same product. City water must be treated to drinking-water standards and pumped through pressurized systems to homes and businesses, while irrigation water generally requires much less treatment and distribution infrastructure.
The Colorado River is one of the most economically important water systems in the West, supporting communities, businesses and some of the nation's most productive agricultural regions. It also underpins food supply chains Americans depend on most heavily during the winter, when areas such as Yuma, Arizona, and California's Imperial Valley become major sources of fresh vegetables.
At the same time, the basin faces a long-term imbalance between available water and existing demands, intensifying debate over conservation, infrastructure and potential new sources of supply. One option that regularly enters that discussion is ocean desalination.
Click here to see more...