ECONOMICS OF WATER SOURCES 321 
recently obtained a year’s water supply after 5 years of drought 
for a $20,000 contract with a commercial cloud seeder. The great 
majority of the people of that city no doubt feel that $20,000 next 
year, and the next, will keep them in water. The economist’s con- 
clusions, however, will wait the adding up of all the $20,000’s that 
have been or can be spent without success, which in effect is what 
the President’s Advisory Committee on Weather Control and the 
World Meteorological Organization’s Committee on Aerology are 
now engaged in. 
Demineralization 
For demineralization the picture is much better. 
1. Competitive Prices. To answer the economist’s first question— 
competitive prices. (I must apologize to our international friends, 
that I speak only of United States conditions, and to our Republi- 
can friends, that I use the 19§2 dollar.) Bulk municipal water is 
priced at $50-80 per acre-foot, irrigation water from the govern- 
ment at $2-6, and from private companies up to $40. In marginal 
areas or critical situations prices are higher, for example, one 
Texas town was hauling water at $1000 per acre-foot. The cost to 
the user of pumping underground water from wells is $4-5 per 
acre-foot per Ioo feet of lift. In the area studied users are pumping 
150-400 feet, thus paying $6-16 per acre-foot, and this sets the 
competitive price. 
2. Production Costs, the economist’s second question. The de- 
mineralization processes on which engineering estimates have been 
made (some of them of the most rudimentary sort) may produce 
from sea water at costs of from $114 to $1000 per acre-foot and 
from brackish waters as low as $20. In detail (all estimates except 
as noted): 
Dollars/acre-foot 
Using solar energy for multiple effect distillation 1069 
(It will never get below) 700 
Simple solar evaporation 775 
(It may get to) 400 
Triple effect distillation 700 
Vacuum distillation using waste diesel heat 528 
Ten effect distillation (actual cost) 415 
