Seawater desalination is the focus of the latest issue of the Water Education Foundation’s flagship publication, Western Water, now available in a quarterly format with new features. In the Winter 2016 issue, Writer Gary Pitzer explores the emerging interest in and growing role of desalination in California.

Pitzer writes that in a state whipsawed by drought, floods and an increasingly unpredict­able water delivery system, the appeal of seawater desalination has grown as a worthwhile endeavor. But the ocean is anything but a vast reservoir of free water for the taking. It takes a lot of work, money and electricity to make seawater suitable for human consumption. There also are con­cerns that the impacts to the ocean environment aren’t fully known.

In addition to the insightful article about desalination, the magazine’s pages have a new look and new features:

• An interview with one of the graduates of the Foundation’s annual Water Leaders Class – Where Are They Now? This issue’s featured alum is Jessica Pearson, executive officer of the Delta Stewardship Council.
• “Sense of Place” ties photos and descriptions of water locations key to California to Aquapedia, our online water encyclopedia, and lets readers know if they can visit that place on one of our tours. This issue features a story about Mendota Pool.
• The “Happenings” section lets readers know about upcoming Foundation events, new or updated publications and other developments.

Read the excerpt from this issue. Purchase a printed copy. Or subscribe to a print or to the digital, interactive version.

The Spring 2016 issue will be published in May.