The department, in cooperation with the United States Department of the Interior, may participate in financing the costs of the site development, construction, operation, and transportation of desalted water in connection with a saline water conversion test center facility to be located in California. The department may sell any water made available by such saline water conversion test center; provided, that the department shall sell such water at rates or charges which will return, at least, all of the costs of transporting the water from the test center to the point of delivery.