Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/117833
Sector Check requires more pretreatment to remove suspended solids. In the 2012 State Water Plan, three regional water planning groups recommended seawater desalination as one of the water management strategies that would produce 125,514 acre-feet per year of new water supplies by 2060. The Plan projected that the strategy would represent 1.4 percent of all the new supplies in the state. San Antonio Water System (SAWS) plans to spend $297 million to complete all three phases of a brackish groundwater desalination program in southern Bexar County. SAWS��� future desalination facility will generate about 11 MGD or 12,210 acre-feet per year from the Wilcox Aquifer in Phase I. Phases II and III will be completed in 2021 and 2026 respectively and will deliver a total of more than 27 MGD or 30,525 acre-feet per year. Implications for Dealers Communities burdened by drought conditions know all too well how their economies can be negatively impacted by a shortage of water. The 2011 drought in Texas caused $6.1 billion in agricultural losses. Desalination of both seawater and brackish water stands to be a high-growth market as communities seek to diversify their water portfolios. In the future, dealers are likely to see more desalination projects funded through innovative public-private partnerships that allow government agencies to reduce risk and capital expenditures. Construction contracts are likely to hold stiff penalties and incentives based on deadlines and cost savings. That is likely to put more pressure on contractors and dealers to have zero downtime with their equipment. In fact, according to Jason Williams, general manager at Clairemont Equipment Co., based in the San Diego metro area, that���s exactly what���s occurring with the equipment rented to contractors with incentive-based contracts ��� it���s got to be up and running, period, and lowhour machinery is in high demand. No one, says Williams, wants to hear from the general contractor about a machine that���s gone down. Even if it���s due to operator error, it doesn���t matter; it���s still the dealer���s problem. These types of contracts are on the rise, he says, citing another job in which the contractor doubled its crews and brought in workers from Oregon to bring the project in on time. Desalination projects won���t be for the faint of heart; the question is, will dealers be ready to help their customers catch the potentially sizeable wave of opportunity in a new U.S. sector? n Joanne Costin is a freelance writer and marketing consultant focusing on the construction industry. She can be reached at (847) 358-1413 or jcostin@costincustom.com. Multi-ply Your Money! Multi-Ripper Bucket with the award winning excavator rock ripping �� Hi-Cap Multi-Ripper Bucket Multi-Ripper Bucket on s seenhannel���s A yc scover it show Di 1 h # d Rush��� Maximize force one tooth at a time, ���Gol with our patented "Shanks on an Arc" technology. 6 to 9 times the force of a standard 5 tooth bucket TM 4 times faster than a hammer eading dge Also, try our award winning Multi-Ripper Teeth (Twisted) for maximum penetration "Leader in Excavator Rock Ripping Attachments" Operators Claim: ttachments, www.digrock.com sales@leattach.com "the best attachment �� Inc. 866-928-5800 or 508-829-4855 I ever bought!" April 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 33 30_Desalination_Feature_KP.indd 33 3/25/13 12:13 PM