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Drawing water from the deep might have less of an impact, but no one knows for sure since there is an estimated WAG of up to 8 million organisms that may inhabit the deep.
The need to have a reliable, alternative and supplemental source of water is essential. Our oceans can be just that.
I for one am encouraged by the continuing research and development of this very interesting techology.
For several decades now the Sunbelt has been growing exponentially. Cities such as Atlanta, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tucson, Charlotte, and Dallas are all welcoming thousands of new residents into their boundaries each year and tens of thousands into their metropolitan areas each year. That might sound fine and dandy, but if these growth rates continue indefinitely into the future at least some of these cities will reach the point where potable water will become scarce. We've already seen a mix of an extreme drought coupled with poor long-range land usage policy giving folks in Greater Atlanta quite a scare in recent months as Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier, the two main reservoirs in the area, have both reached record lows.
Thankfully heavy rains have moved in since then to mitigate the problems there somewhat, but before these rains came the metropolitan area only had under three months of drinking water remaining before they were tapped out. If the rains hadn't come and total reservoir depletion were to occur, what would have been done in Greater Atlanta? Folks in adjacent NC, SC, TN, and AL didn't want to give away any of their water because they were likewise in extreme drought. I believe there was a battle between GA and FL over jeopardizing Federally-protected clams in a Florida waterway in an effort to divert more water to Georgians. Folks here in the North are vehemently opposed to permitting the South to tap into our water supply because we don't want ourselves to be put at a higher risk of future water shortages simply to "bail out" those who choose to live in areas that were not intended to have enough potable water to quench the thirst of such large population concentrations.
What then will happen? I personally think the answer is to invest in a series of desalination plants along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Seaboard to turn salt water into fresh water for those living in the South with similar plants along the Southern California Coast to provide water to the Southwest. Yes, such plants and the desalination process itself is very expensive, but if other states don't want the South and Southwest stipping a large sipee straw into THEIR reservoirs, then this might be the only viable option.
What do others think?
Considering DFWTX received more rain than it knows what to do with, I think Dallas-Ft.Worth will be okay for now. Atlanta is drying up(even with the rain we are getting now isn't enough). If any SunBelt city were to tank, Atlanta would go first. Too many people going in at one time and not enough water to go around possibly. Alot of businesses might reconsider moving to Atlanta will reconsider elsewhere and companies like Delta might leave.
Atlanta will definitely face more water issues in the future considering the exponential population growth projections in all the suburban/urban counties in that MSA. Desalination technologies will need to become a distinct option or possibility in that area.
The sunbelt is SO far south in latitude compared with any countries in Europe.
As the phrase goes:
"Changes in latitudes equal changes in attitudes"
Atlanta will definitely face more water issues in the future considering the exponential population growth projections in all the suburban/urban counties in that MSA. Desalination technologies will need to become a distinct option or possibility in that area.
The sunbelt is SO far south in latitude compared with any countries in Europe.
As the phrase goes:
"Changes in latitudes equal changes in attitudes"
If 31" of rain is a "drought", I think water management is more important than de-salination.
If 31" of rain is a "drought", I think water management is more important than de-salination.
Greater Atlantans won't hear of this. If a "Yankee" dares to mention that folks in their MSA should start developing better long-range land usage policies to minimize haphazard sprawl in order to maintain permeable soil levels, they balk, shout, whine, and complain. I think it's incredibly stupid to have 5,100,000+ residents relying largely on just two reservoirs---Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier. The more land that is consumed for asphalt parking lots at big-box stores, multi-lane highways, housing developments, etc., the less water there is available to soak down into the ground and replenish the water table.
Desalination is definitely something that also needs to be considered though. With how rapidly the Atlanta MSA is growing soon the lake levels will be drawn down too quickly even for "average" rainfalls to adequately replenish. For example, let's assume that I start a city known as "New Scranton" that has one reservoir, Lake Dunder-Mifflin, which has a capacity when full of 100,000,000 gallons. New Scranton currently has a population of 100,000 and draws down this reservoir at the rate of 1,000,000 gallons of water per day or 365,000,000 gallons per year. Average annual rainfall of 50 inches replenishes the reservoir with 375,000,000 gallons of water per year. New Scranton's population swells from 100,000 to 1,000,000 as New Yorkers flock there to marvel at its giant bronze statue of Steve Carell. That makes the city 10 times larger than it formerly was and correspondingly increases water demand by 10 times to 10,000,000 gallons per day or 3,650,000,000 gallons per year. Average rainfall continues to fall and replenish the reservoir at the same rate of 375,000,000 gallons of water of year. As you can see the demand now FAR exceeds the reservoir's ability to replenish itself. New Scranton dries up, just as Atlanta will someday.
Greater Atlantans won't hear of this. If a "Yankee" dares to mention that folks in their MSA should start developing better long-range land usage policies to minimize haphazard sprawl in order to maintain permeable soil levels, they balk, shout, whine, and complain.
That's why, when the time comes when they get real thirsty-they can sip a nice tall refreshing glass of dirt. It's called Survival Of The Fittest, and if you don't have the brains to figure out long-term sustainable living solutions, or at least recognize the need for them, then while your sunny paradise turns into a barren wasteland-you get what you deserve.
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I think it's incredibly stupid to have 5,100,000+ residents relying largely on just two reservoirs---Lake Allatoona and Lake Lanier. The more land that is consumed for asphalt parking lots at big-box stores, multi-lane highways, housing developments, etc., the less water there is available to soak down into the ground and replenish the water table. 
