There won’t be an explicit decision to up and leave to create a new city

No. Shit. Sherlock.

Do you understand that you recycle water? Set up the system like Vegas and your toilet flush today is your drinking water tomorrow. It doesn’t go poof into the ether JFC. That means you only have to ship in the losses JFC. Piping in water losses is fucking easyyyyyyy. Relocating millions of people is harrrrddd. JFC you people have no idea how things work. Water prices will go up yes, quite a lot when you consider it’s close to free right now. It’s not going to be a expontially increasing graph until the end of time like you’re talking.