New desalination technology is bringing down the cost of converting salty water to freshwater.
"Desalination isn't cheap, and some plants are opposed by environmental groups, yet they are hailed by many as an ingenious way to solve the growing problem of dwindling freshwater supplies. Such plants are used to purify brackish groundwater in New Mexico and Arizona and increasingly to purify raw seawater in California and Florida....In 1999, the Congressional Research Service estimated that treating brackish water is about twice as costly as regular water treatment, and treating seawater is at least three times more expensive than brackish-water treatment...'People say, well, it's too expensive, but really what's the alternative?'...The alternative, say environmentalists, is to stop the relentless march of development along the Jersey Shore."
Thanks to J. Resta
Read the full story: So long, salty water
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Housing is the top priority of Seattle’s sole new councilmember
Jenks campaigned on building 1,000 new units of affordable housing.
New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks
Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade residents homeowners $2,700 in 2028.
Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms
The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority