Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill Providing Funds for Saline Water Conversion Research.

I HAVE APPROVED legislation that will allow American scientists and engineers to intensify their efforts to break the cost barrier for desalting water.

The legislation provides more than $23 million to spend in our search for economical ways to purify the world's vast quantities of salt and brackish waters. When added to money already available, it raises funds for fiscal 1968 to nearly $27 million.

Less than 10 years ago, we were spending only $725,000 for such research. It cost up to $2.50 per thousand gallons to extract fresh water from the sea. Since then, we have learned how to reduce the cost of producing fresh water to as little as 22 cents per thousand gallons.

Now we are challenged to lower that cost even more.

The effort to create fresh water from the sea is a partnership which engages government, industry, and our great educational institutions:

--One hundred and fifty colleges and universities in 35 States are conducting vital research and development.

--One hundred and fifty-five industrial companies throughout the Nation have joined this hopeful venture.

Already, several inland communities are converting unusable and brackish sea water to pure water for their regular municipal supply. In a few weeks, Key West, Fla., will become the first city in the United States to obtain virtually all its water supply from the ocean.

A new plant to be built by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will produce 150 million gallons of fresh water at a cost as low as 22 cents per 1,000 gallons.

Now we must continue to develop technology-so that the unlimited resources of the ocean can bring new life to parched fields; so that men can begin to cultivate lands that have been empty and barren for centuries.

With the signing of this legislation, we make a good investment. Its return in the future holds great promise not only for America but for all the world's people.