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Calif. Studies Making Sea Water Drinkable By LAURA WIDES, Associated Press LOS ANGELES - California's epic quest for water, made more pressing by a Western drought and a cutback in the Colorado River supply, is turning toward what many see as an obvious source: the Pacific Ocean. For the most part, desalination has long been prohibitively expensive as a source of drinking water in California. But rising demand, dwindling supply, and new technology that makes it cheaper to take the salt out of sea water are changing the economics of desalination. The MWD is approving plans to subsidize five desalination plants, proposals that were submitted by local water agencies. Together, the plants could supply up to 7% of customers by 2007. The MWD tentatively approved the proposals in December and expects construction to begin by 2005, pending environmental reviews. The five plants are expected to cost between $70 million and $300 million each. Critics say that desalination remains too expensive, in large part because of the power required to run the plants, and that the process damages the environment. For every two gallons of water filtered, one gallon of drinking water is produced. The highly concentrated salt water goes back to the sea. In heavy concentrations, that brine can kill small sea creatures...
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