Progress In Making Sea Water Fresh

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 13

Progress In Making Sea Water Fresh

(N Z. Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, February 12. The United States has reported substantial progress in the long effort to convert sea water to fresh water at reasonably economical rates.

The United States Government had recommended construction of standby con ver sion plants to combat droughts in such areas as Southern California, Florida. Texas. and New York, United Press International reported. The Under-Secretary of the Interior, Mr James Carr, told the House ot Representatives Interior Committee yesterday that large plants probably could supply converted fresh water to big cities within a few years. The water could be used by both industrial and home consumers.

Painting out the growing need for water in the face of the world’s expanding population, Mr Carr said that in such areas as Southern California “there just isn’t any more water” to be de-

veloped from the usual sources. The price of water there, he said, “is whatever you have to pay to get it.” Under its current programme the United States has built or is completing four demonstration conversion plants and is working on a fifth.

As an example of comparable costs, Mr Carr said a plant could now be built that would produce 30m gallons of fresh water daily at a cost of 100 dollars an acrefoot, or 30 cents a thousand gallons. While optimistic about progress towards meeting municipal and industrial needs, Mr Carr said conversion of salt water for irrigation at costs competitive with ordinary irrigation methods was not within sight at present