lease with the San Diego Gas and Electric Company at that time and thus found it necessary to seek an alternate location.

The vertical tube evaporator/multi-stage flash (VTE/MSF) Module authorized for fiscal year 1971 is to be constructed in cooperation with the Orange County Water District (OCWD) adjacent to the Orange County Sanitation Plant No. 1 in Fountain Valey, California. In acordance with the memo of understanding signed by OSW and the OCWD, the Office of Saline Water will design, construct and operate the VTE/MSF module on land leased at no cost to OSW from OCWD, OCWD will furnish intake, outfall, steam generator, and all the shop buildings. OCWD's participation is estimated to cost about $3.2 million. A construction contract is scheduled to be awarded in June 1971, with completion scheduled in an 18-month period. OCWD is charged with providing water for an area of more than 200,000 acres with a population of over one million people. Orange County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation with a potential population increase in excess of 10% per year. This population is expected to reach 2,000,000 by 1980 and the total water requirement by that time is expected to be 500,000 acre feet annually.

The chief sources of water for the District are ground water basin and importations from the Colorado River through the Metropolitan Water District System. Discharge of the Santa Ana River, estimated at 85,000 acre feet annually is a part of the District water supply, but as much as 90% of this has been estimated to enter the ground water as recharge. Importation of the Colorado River waters through the MWD is a necessity to meet the water demands. However, the availability of imported supply varies from year to year, depending upon other major demands for the water in the state aqueduct development. Preservation and utilization of the ground water aquifer estimated to have storage of as much as 500,000 acre feet is a very important part of the District's water management program. Since, historically, there have been periods of overdraft (which are expected to continue) when importations were insufficient to meet the balance of demands, it is necessary that the ground water storage reservoir be protected so it can sustain extensive overdraft during short periods without permanent damage to its reservoir utility through sea water intrusion. Water spreading projects in the Santa Ana River Basin are one means being employed to increase ground water storage.

Even more critical is the prevention of salt water intrusion from the ocean into the ground water basin. For this purpose, the Board of Directors of OCWD has authorized the Orange County Coastal Barrier Project which includes injection of fresh water into the aquifer and pumping salt water from the aquifer. A portion of the injection water in due course becomes a regular part of the ground water storage and eventually supplies the regular water wells in the area. Hence the quality of the injected water is important.

There are alternate souces of water for injection. One is the Colorado River Water from the MWD system and another is reclaimed sewage effluent from the sewage treatment plant located near the injection wells. Waste water reclamation is believed to have an economic advantage and, hence, the District has devoted approximately $1,000,000 to study the treatment of secondary sewage effluent to make it suitable for injection. The average salinity of the reclaimed waste water is reported to be 1400 ppm, which makes it of marginal quality for injection into the barrier. Dilution with imported water does not offer a suitable solution since Colorado River water already averages 700 to 800 ppm salinity and is costly to transport. For this reason the OCWD is vitally interested in the high quality product from a desalting plant to dilute and improve the quality of the water used in the injection barrier. It plans to construct a waste water reclamation plant and blend the high quality desalted water with the reclaimed waste water. I will keep the Committee fully informed as this project progresses. Distillation Program

The construction of the VTE-X at San Diego is completed, and we are now obtaining operating data. The modifications to the Freeport Test Bed are scheduled to be completed in mid-April. Information collected from these two test projects will be used for the final design of the VTE/MSF Module. With the modification of the Clair Engle Plant at San Diego, we have obtained operating temperatures up to 350° F. This is nearly 100° above the operating temperatures of commercial plants.

The installation of a high temperature water jet compressor at Roswell has been completed and initial tests have been run. With the installation of the

non-mechanical compressor, it is hoped that more efficient operations can be obtained leading to lower cost water.

Membrane Program

The membrane program is proceeding at an accelerated level. The 250,000 gpd RO test bed plant will soon be under construction. This plant is designed to recover 80% of the feed as product. Considerable information has been gained over the past year that will be incorporated into the construction of this test bed. We have not as yet selected a location for this plant. Under the RO field test program that we reported to you last year, we completed testing at Las Animas, Colorado and on the Potomac estuary in FY 71. Field tests employing the Mobile Test Facility are continuing in the Yuma, Arizona area. Results of this field test program have provided us with valuable information on desalting of various brackish waters in the Pacific South west.

Webster Test Bed

We have decided to discontinue the operation of the electrodialysis test bed at Webster since our engineers and scientists insist this plant has served its usefulness to the program. This San Diego test bed has been in operation since 1961 and has provided much valuable data. Operation of Test Facility at Webster for pretreatment and pilot plant testing will continue during FY 1972.

Cooperative Work

In addition to the cooperative efforts being planned for Orange County, we have been studying, in cooperation with the State of California, the possibility of constructing a 30 to 50 mgd prototype plant within the next several years. Cooperative studies have been conducted with other states as well as California. Study areas include Texas, New York, New Jersey, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Montana. Other states have expressed interest in this activity, including Nevada, North Dakota, Florida, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. OSW's effort in this activity is limited to cooperative feasibility studies with OSW funding a portion of the cost and the state supplying direct funds or personnel to the programs.

Jidda

Plant construction is complete and the plant is now being put in operation. Barring unforeseen difficulties, we expect to have the plant in full commercial operation in approximately three months. If the plant operates satisfactorily, it may be possible to complete performance tests and take final acceptance of the plant approximately one to two months after plant reaches commercial operation.

Geothermal

I am pleased to report to the members of the committee that the Department of the Interior has formed a task force which will utilize the best expertise of the bureaus and agencies of the Department for an in-depth coordinated study of the potential development, for both power and water, of the geothermal resources of the Imperial Valley region. An important part of this task force effort will be an evaluation of the potential of existing processes to desalt mineral laden geothermal brines and to develop new processes or combination of processes, as required, to recover economically fresh water from this presently untapped source of supply. Desalting geothermal brines will present several unique and difficult problems, but solving these problems may well mean the creation of as much as 1 billion gallons of fresh water per day in the very heart of a critically water short area of the Nation.

This study of geothermal resources along with other desalting alternatives are important facets of the Department's Westwide Water Study. Even from preliminary studies, we can foresee that desalting may have major application to meet the long-range water needs in this region, both as to quantity and quality. We have assigned one of the Office of Saline Water's best process engineers as a full time member of the Westwide Study team to assure that the full potential of desalination is properly considered.

Large Scale Desalting

There is universal agreement that the water supply of the Colorado River is inadequate to meet future demands. There is further widespread agreement that augmentation of the natural flows of the river will be necessary, as a solution to rising water demands. Augmentation by desalting may well provide opportunities to improve the quality and quantity of Colorado River basin's water supply.

If an aggressive research and development program in desalting continues, with emphasis on applications, we foresee large quantities of desalted sea water being produced at costs of $100 an acre-foot or less, through the construction of a prototype plant, hopefully before 1982. We are confident that water cost from a "first-of-a-kind" prototype plant will be further reduced by succeeding commercial plants. While this is relatively expensive water, it must be recognized that the addition of pure distilled water will enhance the overall quality of the river downstream from the point of delivery, with attendant benefits to all users.

FISCAL YEAR 1972 PROGRAM

With your permission, I would like to briefly review the program we are proposing for FY 1972.

The OSW program for FY 72 of $27,025,000 is a reduction of $1,548,000 from the FY 71 program of $28,573,000. The decrease is due to the authorization and the appropriation of funds for FY 71 to construct the VTE/MSF module.

The FY 72 program provides for an aggressive research program, both basic and applied and also provides for the construction of two reverse osmosis test beds. We also are seeking five additional positions very badly needed for the effective conduct of our operations.

Category I.— Research and Development Operating Expense

There is an increase of $495,066, in this category. This increase resulted primarily from additional program effort for environmental and general applied research and development. Such programs as materials, crystalization and electrodialysis research and development programs were cut back. Additional emphasis needs to be directed to the areas of environmental protection. Since we in the Office of Saline Water are concerned with improving the environment through the development of desalting technology, it is imperative that we assure that desalination has no adverse environmental effect.

Category II.-Test Beds and Test Facilities

An increase of $1,985,000 is requested for this category. The increase represents two reverse osmosis test beds, planned at a cost of $2,100,000 for a 250,000 gpd sea water desalting plant and a 500,000 to 750,000 gpd high product recovery desalting plant. Reverse osmosis sea water plants capable of producing 250,000 gpd will benefit the small coastal communities and open up a new market for U.S. manufacturers overseas. Three new positions are requested: one assistant to the manager at Roswell; one assistant to the manager at Freeport; and one lab technician for Wrightsville Beach.

Category III.-Modules

This category shows a decrease of $4,170,000. This reflects a reduction of $4,320,000 for construction of the vertical tube evaporator/multi-stage flash (VTE/MSF) module authorized in FY 1971.

Category IV.—Administration and Coordination

Administration and coordination shows an increase of $37,000 which includes the addition of two positions. This is a minimal increase to cover the conduct of the business aspects of the program.

You will also note that we are proposing a change to the appropriation language to delete the limitation on reprogramming of funds into the administration and coordination activity. The proposed authorizing legislation for FY 72 provides for 2% reprogramming authority into this category. As you know, the other three categories provide for 10% reprogramming authority. This 2% reprogramming authority proposed is the minimal amount to cover emergency situations that may occur in this category.

Senator ALLOTT. In connection with the Westwide water study you mention, it is supposed to be completed in 1977. Now, with the schedule which you have provided for the record, will you have any definitive results of the desalting program to incorporate in the Westwide study, and if so, what will they be?

Mr. SMITH. Hopefully, the large-scale prototype will be completed just about at that time, I think in 1977. All of the capital costs going into that large scale will be known at that time. The project should be

on time, and operating. I think the initial preliminary operating data will be available and of course, whatever is, will be cranked into the Western U.S. water plan study. I think perhaps the words "definitive results" are the heart of your question, Senator Allott. It will be as definitive as we can make it, consistent with the fact that the plant will not have been operated very long.

Senator ALLOTT. Well, now, let's take a look at this whole picture, where we are. The Senator from New Mexico, the chairman of this committee, and to many of the rest of us, he has really been one of the

big pushers of the desalination program since it started, and the rest of us have joined with him. Now, how much money to date on the desalination program?

Mr. SMITH. $211 million.

Senator ALLOTT. We have conducted a lot of tests. We have gotten several methods and combinations of methods of extracting watergood water, from both brackish and sea water. I suppose you would say that to this date, all we have really done is define possible methods which could lead to commercial feasibility.

Mr. O'MEARA. That is essentially right, Senator; however, there is considerable commercial application of desalting technology at this time. There are nearly 700 desalting plants in operation around the world, producing about 350 million gallons of desalted water everyday. Now, these are located in areas of very short water supply, where there is no alternative. And as the cost comes down, the market for desalting plants will increase.

Senator ALLOTT. Well, the statement as far as America is concerned, the United States, it is probably fairly close to accurate.

Mr. O'MEARA. Yes, sir; there is only one city in the United States obtaining its municipal water by desalting sea water. That is Key West, Fla. There are several cities improving their water supply by desalting brackish waters.

sir.

Senator ALLOTT. And we have a plant in the Virgin Islands?
Mr. O'MEARA. There are several plants in the Virgin Islands, yes,

Senator ALLOTT. I am just trying to put this whole thing in perspective. What you are really proposing here now it is that, having worked on this all this time and developed these various techniques, we now proceed past an experimental type plant and actually go into a production plant. In other words, it is time to find out where our technology is and where it can lead us. Is that right?

Mr. SMITH. You are absolutely correct. We are now to the point where we should and can move into large-scale proof of that which has already been learned. But the reason I hesitated momentarily is that this bill does not request the authority for us to build a prototype. It says that if we wish to come back to you and to the President within a period of time, whether it be a year or whether that time requirement is not in the bill, to ask for permission to construct a prototype. Senator ALLOTT. Well, whatever the period is, if it is a year. But at least, I am just trying to put the program in the context of the whole development to find out where we are. I know that this is the way you are thinking, that we are now at a point in time to start getting at the problem of large scale desalting to obtain some definitive

answers.

Mr. SMITH. Yes, sir.

Senator ALLOTT. Now, one of the things which Mr. O'Meara touched on in his statement was the geothermal possibilities in the lower California-Mexicali area-the idea of extracting water from the geothermal steam there. Would you also be able to use that steam as a power source with extraction?