Terry Trapp is an entrepreneur based in Sitka, Alaska. He is the chief executive of Alaska Bulk Water inc. and intends to ship around 10 million gallons of water per month by tanker or barge from Alaska to California by July. Ambitious to say the least.
The cost has always been a major obstacle for bulk water and the water from Sitka is going to be a pricey one penny per gallon versus the one-tenth of a cent per gallon paid by regular bottling plants in California.
However, California’s drought emergency makes the thought of extra water attractive even if it is expensive.
Alaska Bulk Water is serious about breaking open the market and Sitka city officials can see the benefits of using water export to fund the city government.
Circle of Blue reports:
“They have told us for years that they have contracts signed, but that does not mean we’ve shipped any water,” Garry White told Circle of Blue. White is the executive director of Gary Paxton Industrial Park, which manages Sitka’s bulk water agreements. “Moving water is the true test of whether this happens,” he added.
Trapp would not discuss the details of the contract or the business operation with Circle of Blue, saying only that the company is working out the economics and logistics of the water trade.
“We’re trying to haul water from Alaska to California, and we’re looking for the most cost-efficient way to get that done,” Trapp said.”
While this could be a great short-term solution for California and a good money-spinner for Alaska, shipping water is not the easiest thing to do.
Would this ever be a practical long-term water utility infrastructure management solution? Only time will tell.
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