[미국] 텍사스, 담수화에 대한 공청회 개최

텍사스주는 담수화 비용과 이익에 대한 공청회를 개회했다. 공화당 하원의원 Lubbock와 Charles Perry는 공청회에서 국민에게 담수화의 중요한 역할을 교육하는 것이 주가 미래 물 요구를 충족하도록 돕는다고 설명하며 담수화는 많은 비용이 들지 않으며 텍사스 물 공급의 중요한 요소라고 교육을 시작했다고 밝혔다. 또한 소금기 있는 물의 담수화는서부 텍사스를 위한 중요한 요소이며 우리는 우리가 물에 지불하는 금액보다 저렴하게 담수화를 할 수 있다고 설명했다.

The US state of Texas has begun a series of public hearings on desalination costs and benefits that will inform the drafting of new laws next year.

Republican representative for Lubbock, Charles Perry said the public hearings should also educate the public about the critical role for desalination in helping the state meet its future water needs.

"That is the key," Perry said. "We've got to start the (public) education that desalination is not that expensive, that it is a key component of the water supply in Texas." "We've got water around us and under us," Perry said. "Desalination of brackish water is the key for West Texas because we are sitting on top of a Permian Basin ocean water and they can desalinate for as cheap as what we're paying for water in Lubbock, Texas, right now."

Republican representative for the city of San Antonio, Lyle Larson a water expert at the University of Texas said the estimated 5,000 trillion litres saltwater available in Texas from its 540km of coastline provided, "so much growth opportunity," for desalination.
Larson said the state needed to invest in desalination plants, like Florida has, to meet its future water needs.

The Texas population is projected to grow from 26 million this year to 40 million by 2060. To prepare for such projected growth, in last year's session state lawmakers approved a bill that, with subsequent voter approval in this autumn, will allow the legislature to withdraw $2 billion from contingency reserves to begin funding a $53 billion, 50-year water plan.

 

[출처 = Desalination & Water reuse / 2014년 6월 23일]