If the search was, in fact, improperly conducted, it then would be an illegal search and seizure. At that point all evidence obtained by the search is inadmissible in court. They may have just torpedoed their case just with the search alone.

The documentary is a whole other legal can of worms that I am in no way qualified to even begin to analyze.

Could these be removed via evaporative distillation?

I’m aware the treatment plants don’t distill water, but it could be useful on the personal level. I could probably distill 20 gallons a day without much draw on the solar production.