A benefit-cost analysis of an interstate seawater desalination plant shared between California and Nevada

According to the Southern Nevada Water Authority (2002), increasing demands for water in southern Nevada will require the importation of additional water resources. The purpose of this thesis was to examine one possible imported resource: an interstate seawater desalination cooperative between entities in California and Nevada. This cooperative would provide a permanent transfer of Colorado River water from California to southern Nevada, in trade for a capital contribution toward California coastal seawater desalination. This study uses a benefit-cost approach as outlined in Dively and Zerbe (1994). Costs of both entities in Nevada and California were calculated and technical feasibility detailed. Results indicate that seawater desalination is more expensive than existing water sources. However, when compared with other alternative sources, seawater desalination appears competitive and may be a preferred alternative for southern Nevada.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Year

2003

Author dc:creator

• Peterson, McClain L

Contributors dc:contributor

• Helen Neill

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/rtds/1609

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oasis.library.unlv.edu:rtds-2608