Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022 | 2 a.m.
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Looking at the Las Vegas Valley Water District board of directors agenda, I see a lot of maintenance activity and conservation discussion, but nothing on replenishing our water.
A solution could be to run a pipeline from the ocean, bringing saltwater for swimming pools and water features, as well as to a desalination facility to create drinking water. This is not unprecedented.
We have an underground pipeline for petroleum products, the Calnev pipeline which runs from Los Angeles and to Las Vegas. Actually, there are two parallel lines. Could one be converted to transport sea water, or could another water distribution pipe be buried next to these?
Saudi Arabia has a desalinating system powered by solar arrays. Of course, there are issues about the byproducts of desalination and costs, but nothing insurmountable. Israel, which has three times the population of Las Vegas, has a similar desert environment and, with a desalination system, has a surplus of water.
It’s also interesting that this petroleum pipeline runs to water-restricted states (California, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico). Could this approach solve the Southwest’s drought permanently?
If nothing else, let’s include thoughts like this into our water solution conversations.
