Among the horrific reports about the damage Hurricane Helene unleashed on the southeastern United States was one about Spruce Pine, North Carolina, population 2,194 as of the 2020 census. The town was hard hit. One resident reported that the water treatment plant 'washed away.' Many of the town's old brick riverfront buildings are gone, and the mud is everywhere.
In the alternative, purification methods could be developed or extended to make ultra-pure quartz from not-so-pure quartz. All that would have a cost and it might mean increased costs for the industry. But these alternatives are not available at a snap of one's fingers. The time lag could be considerable. Mines can take years to discover, permit and build. Better methods of purification might be developed quickly or they might take time.