"In the U.S. it's necessary to move potablewater over distances greater than the length of U.K., " says Richard Manning, a Brit who runs the building products operation.
Critics of desalination agree, adding that such high costs are preventing those U.S. cities that are actually transforming seawater into potablewater from fully utilizing their existing facilities.
In Brazil's favelas, it helped some 900, 000 people obtain "potable water piped directly into their homes, " and about 1 million receive sewer services.