Splaine: Is desalination the answer to combatting future drought?
A news story none of us wants to see in, let's say, Aug. 7, 2041: "The drought that began late last fall continues to expand through parts of New England, including New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. There have been under 2 inches of rainfall since February, with virtually no snow in mountain regions. The lack of rainfall has resulted in excessively low levels in lakes, with several fresh-water rivers dried up."
Like a Twilight Zone episode, at least right now that's not a real news story, not hereabouts anyway. And even with some worst-case scenarios of climate change impact, that storyline is unlikely.
Or is it? If not for 2041, maybe 2070? Or when Portsmouth celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2123? With climate change, we just don't know.
Long-range planning is important. Serious cooperative, collaborative regional planning with our neighbors makes sense in the coming decades.
It's necessary, and it's smart.
More from Jim Splaine: Portsmouth in 2023: Fireworks or drones — or both?
The "don't worry, be happy" attitude always concerns me. We have often learned that the unexpected can happen. A year ago, most of us didn't imagine a nation would be attacked by Russia, and that the United States would be as involved as it is now. Next year is unpredictable there.
Six years ago, I took a four-hour tour of a desalination plant in Swansea, Massachusetts. I was on the Portsmouth City Council then and proposed that we should pool our talent with officials from other seacoast communities — from Maine to Massachusetts — and consider a regional water supply approach including exploring long-range efforts to employ desalination technology, as well as new regional concepts for power generation and wastewater treatment.
I am no expert about any of those technologies. But what seems real to me is that fresh water is finite, and that if we experience a long-term drought, extreme water bans would be ordered, farms and recreational businesses of all kinds and restaurants and hotels would close, and the price of bottled water imported from elsewhere, if available, would be costly just as gasoline is now — the old economic concept of supply-and-demand being the factor.
More from Jim Splaine: The Two Portsmouths: the rather well-to-do, and the not-quite so
Desalination is a possible answer to prevent future water shortages. Thousands of desalination plants exist worldwide. Cruise ships employ the technology. As do submarines. Swansea's plant is successful. Many communities are learning how to desalinate water as they are forced to address more immediate needs than we have. A plant is scheduled to start operations soon in Huntington Beach, California, that will provide a 50 million gallon daily output.
I also cannot imagine Portsmouth forever wanting to have a wastewater treatment plant taking up large portions of just about our best recreational spot, Peirce Island. What's real is that the building of a nearly $100 million plant there only buys us time because its lifespan is about 60 years. So long-term regional planning with other communities makes sense for common solutions using 22nd century technology and best practices from other parts of the world.
And the possibilities of teaming up with area communities to explore wind and solar farms makes sense, as proposed by others including Portsmouth's Tom Morgan and City Councilors Josh Denton and John Tabor. The "let's-start-doing-it-now" approach seems apropos in that possibility as well.
More from Jim Splaine: Courageous local legislators led fight for gun safety 20, 30 years ago
Consider this: whatever it was that started our planet some billions of years ago — whether a Superior Being, or Mother Nature, or the Big Bang — it gave us temporary solutions to live and grow and evolve until we found other longer-term solutions. Oil and coal have given us what we needed to provide power and heat until we learned how to use solar and wind and other technology.
With that same analysis in mind, our lakes and rivers and natural rainfall have given us what we have needed until we find an efficient and effective way to use ocean water, which covers about 70% of our planet.
Our challenge is to explore those alternatives. Before we run out of time.
Today's quote: "You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results." — Mahatma Gandhi
Next time: Neighborhood National Night Out
Jim Splaine has served variously since 1969 as Portsmouth assistant mayor, Police Commission member, and School Board member, as well as New Hampshire state senator and representative. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: Is desalination the answer to combat future drought?
