31.72 Fresh water from the sea (Sunwater Company solar stills installations). An abundance of slightly saline water lies just 30 feet down in the ground, at Ballarat, in the California desert near Death Valley. This entire resort development was planned and built by Neil Cummins, Civil Engineer, of Oxnard, California, because he knew that potable water would be avalable using a solar still. This one is of several instances in which a SUNWATER solar still has enhanced the value of real estate.