https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River Analysts say that the costs of the $25 billion groundwa

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Man-Made_River Analysts say that the costs of the $25 billion groundwater extraction system are 10% those of desalination. It is the largest underground network of pipes (2820km / 1750 miles) and aqueducts in the world. It consists of more than 1,300 wells, most more than 500 m deep, and supplies 6,500,000 m3 of fresh water per day to the cities of Tripoli, Benghazi, Sirte and elsewhere. The late Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi described it as the "Eighth Wonder of the World". Of course this is from the 1980s in a completely different part of the planet with totally different circumstances and not directly comparable. But makes one wonder as to the veracity of your statement. Sadly, it is entirely plausible present day US can't perform mega projects as well as a crazed Libyan dictator from half a century ago.