December 9, 1947

Mr. Robert J. McPherson

2644 Teresita Street

San Diego 4, California

Dear Mr. McPherson:

I am glad to give you the information available to me about the matter of converting salt water into fresh water, in which you express interest in your letter of December 5.

You mention that on November 24 the San Diego Journal carried a story stating that all the demineralized ocean water the State can use will be available at five cents a ton on the coast and that I had stated the cheap demineralization of ocean water will be made possible through the use of atomic power, and that on December 1 the San Diego Water Director G. E. Arnold said "It's the bunk - a very disturbing article. It shouldn't have been written; it's not sound at all."

I did not see the November 24 article. The estimate that distilled water could be made from ocean water through the use of atomic power at the cost of five cents a ton calculated on the basis of present knowledge about the utilization of atomic power was made by Dean Wendell M. Latimer, of the College of Chemistry of the University of California at Berkeley. Dean Latimer has a considerable knowledge about atomic energy that I do not have, and it is not possible for me to make a better estimate than that which he has made. I think that it is likely that this estimate is a sound one, and that we can hope that with further development of this very new technical subject, the utilization of atomic energy, it can be anticipated that distilled water could be made from ocean water at a much lower price. However, this development might take a number of years, and with political considerations about the atomic bomb what they are now, it is likely that it will take several decades.

I should also mention that both Dr. Morris and Dr. Franklin Thomas have pointed out to me that fresh water at sea level available at the cost of five cents a ton would not be of any interest at present in the Southern California region, because the present supplies of fresh water are much cheaper and the price at most one third as great would be necessary in order to compete economically. To summarize, I would say that it is entirely proper to expect that at some time in the future water supplies can be made available through the distillation of sea water by the use of atomic power, and that the cost of this water will be low enough to make it economically important. On the other hand, so long as atomic energy is considered to be primarily of importance for the manufacture of weapons, this peacetime development will probably be hindered, and the use of this new source of water cannot be considered as significant for the immediate future.

I am going to be in England during the next eight months, and accordingly am not able to come to San Diego and talk with you.

Sincerely yours,

Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling:W

cc: Dr. Morris

Dr. Thomas

Dr. Hall