“The Pipe” is a Potential Zero Waste Solution to California’s Drought

California’s drought has been going on for years, and things are starting to get serious. The state’s governor has even contemplated charging residents who use the most water as a way to get people to cut down on usage. That is far from the only method the state has been looking into, though. In fact, the Land Art Generator Initiative biennial design competition may have offered California a potential zero waste solution to its water problem.

That solution is known as The Pipe.

What Is The Pipe, And What Does It Do?

The Pipe is a concept design that would allow a relatively simple device to take sea water, and turn it into potable water using solar energy. The device, which will be roughly 2,000 feet long if it’s built, according to Business Insider, would sit between 600 and 1,000 meters off the coast, in the Pacific Ocean. It would use a relatively simple, filterless process to remove unwanted elements from the water and produce roughly 4.5 billion liters of potable water per year.

In other words, enough to cover the annual usage of 36,000 people, or about 40 percent of the population of Santa Monica, California.

There is no guarantee that the Pipe will be built, even if it wins this particular design competition. However, the lead designer is confident that with the amount of positive press and excitement the idea has generated, there should be quite a market for the concept. While it may have been designed with California’s drought in mind, there are places all over the world that could make use of this machine.