Desalination is being considered as an alternative supply for water in Central California, where water for agricultural and residential use is in short supply. In 2009, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued a Cease and Desist Order, requiring CalAm to reduce its pumping from the Carmel River by 70% by 2016. The Carmel River is the primary water source for the region, so alternative water sources are necessary. The Central Coast also relies heavily on groundwater supplies; however, problems with seawater intrusion make this an unsustainable alternative. As a result, many proposals for desalination facilities have been submitted as a possible solution to the water gap
With the immanent avaliblity of LENR as a power source. The intrusion of seawater into the aquifer can be turned into an advantage as the water table can transport seawater throughout the agricultural area at no cost. A distributed LENR based desalination unit could make each farm water independent. Turning seawater into fresh water using a LENR reactor is nothing new. When water is required, in most of the commercially available systems, a high-pressure pump is activated to remove salt from the water via reverse-osmosis. A LENR based process works by transforming heat into mechanical work by means of a turbine. A 1200 foot well cost about $250,000 now, and deeper wells will be required as time goes on. The proposed currently available desalination technologies for the Central Coast are energy intensive. Producing a million gallons of desalinated seawater uses about 15,000 kWh , which is equivalent to the energy use of 913 California homes per day. Most of the total energy use goes towards the reverse osmosis process (70%), while pre- and post-treatment and pumping account for 13% each. Pumping water from the ocean to the plant is an additional 7%. Given the high construction and energy costs of desalination, customer water bills are expected to increase. For example, a typical customer should expect their water bills to increase by approximately 40% by 2018 if the proposed Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project is approved. Below is an estimate of what a typical customer will expect to pay with the implementation of the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project. With the distributed LENR solution to water desalinization, the farmer bears the cost of the water leaving the electric costumer unaffected. The LENR fired turbine drives the high-pressure pump directly and it is fresh water that is produced instead of electricity (at a much lower cost).
