| How can we use ocean drinking water? |
| Most of the United States has, or can gain access to, ample supplies of fresh drinking water. However, in some parts of the country and world, fresh drinking water is in short supply. In addition, as the population continues to grow, shortages of fresh drinking water will occur more often. In some areas, salt water – from the ocean, for instance – is being turned into drinking water. Safely using ocean drinking water, however, is a tricky process. In California, the towns of Santa Barbara and Avalon have begun using desalinization methods to remove the salt from seawater and turn it into suitable drinking water. A promising method to desalinate seawater and make use of ocean drinking water possible is the "reverse osmosis" method. Right now, the high cost of desalinization has kept it from being used more often, as it can cost over $1,000 per acre-foot to desalinate seawater and make it into drinking water, compared to about $200 per acre-foot to purify normal water into suitable drinking water. However, desalinization technology is improving and costs are falling. For example, in Tampa Bay, FL, water is currently being desalinized at a cost of only $650 per acre-foot. As both the demand for fresh drinking water and technology increase, you can expect to see more use of ocean drinking water, especially in areas such as California and the Middle East. Home Page | FAQs | Glossary | Contact Us |