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What choices does Southern California have for fresh water? At least for the short term future, it would appear desalinization plants are one of very few options regardless of environmental impact. SoCal is at the end of the water pipe. A plant the size of the one in Carlsbad can produce water for about 100,000 homes. How many desalinization plants are going to be needed and who(and how) are you going to pay? I'm sure everyone who lives on the coast will want a desalinization plant next to their million dollar home.
No one knows for sure the long term impact of brine disposal and warm water discharge is going to be, any environmental impact reports are nothing more than educated guesses or motivated by political or financial interests. Ocean warming in certain areas can be devastating to plant and animal life, even if the water temp is higher by only a degree or two. Jacking saline levels, who knows?
Thirty million people(maybe twenty nine million since at least a million have moved to Portland, OR) living in the desert with no significant water resources, not sure what the expectations are.
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