The power and technology behind the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, which turns seawater into drinking water, is described in this video report from Reporter Trason Bragg.
The Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, and it has produced more than 100 billion gallons of drinking water for San Diego County since operations began in December 2015.
Seawater into drinking water
“As we continue to confront increasingly frequent and intense droughts, today’s announcement is an exciting step in our efforts to provide sustainable, reliable water supplies for San Diego County,” said San Diego Rep. Mike Levin. https://t.co/FFvhKliuGN#cawater#WIFIALoan
— San Diego County Water Authority (@sdcwa) March 25, 2023
New intake and discharge facilities
The new intake and discharge facilities at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant will ensure the plant continues to meet California’s stringent Ocean Plan standards for protecting marine life. Work started in January 2023 and the new facilities are anticipated to be operational by December 2024. Except for a planned plant outage required near the end of the project to connect the new facilities to the existing intake system, construction is not expected to impact water production.
Reverse osmosis is the heart of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant. During this process, dissolved salt and other minerals are separated from the water, making it fit for consumption. This reverse osmosis building contains more than 2,000 pressure vessels housing more than 16,000 reverse osmosis membranes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Aerial-Desal-plant-CBS-CW-screengrab-March-2023.jpg450845Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-29 11:51:022023-03-29 11:51:02Turning Seawater into Drinking Water
The Bureau of Reclamation March 28, announced an increase in Central Valley Project 2023 water supply allocations. After below average precipitation in February, Reclamation announced a conservative initial water supply allocation for the CVP on Feb. 22. Additional atmospheric river systems have since boosted hydrological conditions and storage volumes, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation.
Since making initial allocations last month, Shasta Reservoir, the cornerstone of the Central Valley Project, has increased from 59% to 81%, and San Luis Reservoir, the largest reservoir south-of-Delta, from 64% to 97%. Record-breaking snowpack conditions currently exist in the Southern Sierra coupled with significant snowpack in the Central Sierra and Northern Sierra/Trinity.
2023 Central Valley Project supply allocations increased
Based on current hydrology and forecasting, Reclamation is announcing the following increases to CVP water supply allocations:
North-of-Delta Contractors
Irrigation water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta are increased to 80% from 35% of their contract total.
Municipal and industrial water service and repayment contractors north-of-Delta are increased to 100% from 75% of their historic use.
South-of-Delta Contractors
Irrigation water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are increased to 80% from 35% of their contract total.
M&I water service and repayment contractors south-of-Delta are increased to 100% from 75% of their historical use.
Friant Division Contractors
Friant Division contractors’ water supply is delivered from Millerton Reservoir on the upper San Joaquin River and categorized by Class 1 and Class 2. The first 800,000 acre-feet of available water supply is considered Class 1; Class 2 is considered the next amount of available water supply up to 1.4 million acre-feet. Class 1 remains at 100% and Class 2 was previously increased from 20% to 70% on March 7.
Friant Dam is currently being operated for flood control purposes; as long as these conditions exist contractors are able to take delivery of all available water from Friant Dam to the maximum extent of their respective contracts.
All other CVP water supply allocations remain the same as noted in the Feb. 22 announcement.
As the water year progresses, changes in hydrology, actions that impact operations, and opportunities to deliver additional water will influence future allocations. Reclamation will continue to monitor hydrology and may adjust basin-specific allocations if conditions warrant an update. Water supply updates and past year’s allocations are posted on Reclamation California-Great Basin Region’s website.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PJH_Delta-Mendota-0129-Bureau-of-Reclamation-Primary.jpg450845Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-28 12:16:032023-03-28 12:16:03Reclamation Increases Central Valley Project 2023 Water Supply Allocations
San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra L. Kerl today responded to Gov. Newsom’s announcement rolling back major elements of state drought regulations.
“Extraordinary amounts of rain and snow this winter have dramatically improved water supply conditions across California, and we support the Governor’s decision to end some statewide water restrictions.
“However, the past three years of extreme drought have highlighted fundamental challenges with water management statewide. We cannot and should not lose the urgency created by the drought to improve water transfer markets, increase state investments in water infrastructure, and continue adoption of low-water landscapes.
“And we must not forget that the Colorado River remains mired in decades of hot, dry weather that require new thinking about water use and conservation across the West. Fundamentally, we are no longer talking about drought but an entirely different reality than we were in decades past – the era of climate-driven impacts to our natural resources.
“Every person in San Diego and the western U.S. must continue to eliminate water waste, adopt low-water landscapes, capture rainwater, and take other steps to adapt to a hotter and drier future. It will not be easy or cheap. But the alternative is a return to more drought-related emergencies like California experienced over the past three years.”
Carlsbad, Calif. (March 24, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $170 million low-interest loan to reduce financing costs for environmental upgrades that enhance the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, who represents coastal communities including Carlsbad, helped secure the funds that will save ratepayers up to $54 million compared to alternate financing strategies.
“As we continue to confront increasingly frequent and intense droughts, the EPA announcement is an exciting step in our efforts to provide sustainable, reliable water supplies for San Diego County,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “This low-interest federal loan will not only allow the Carlsbad Desalination Plant to improve its efficiency and environmental practices but will also save local water ratepayers tens of millions of dollars. I will never stop fighting to improve our region’s water security at the most affordable price for ratepayers.”
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SDCWA-200x200-1.png200200Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-24 10:59:022023-03-24 10:59:02EPA Financing for Desal Plant Saves Water Ratepayers up to $54 Million
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $170 million low-interest loan to reduce financing costs for environmental upgrades that enhance the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant. U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, who represents coastal communities including Carlsbad, helped secure the funds that will save ratepayers up to $54 million compared to alternate financing strategies.
“As we continue to confront increasingly frequent and intense droughts, today’s announcement is an exciting step in our efforts to provide sustainable, reliable water supplies for San Diego County,” said Rep. Mike Levin. “This low-interest federal loan will not only allow the Carlsbad Desalination Plant to improve its efficiency and environmental practices but will also save local water ratepayers tens of millions of dollars. I will never stop fighting to improve our region’s water security at the most affordable price for ratepayers.”
This is great news!
As we continue to confront increasingly frequent and intense droughts, today’s announcement is an exciting step in our efforts to provide sustainable, reliable water supplies for San Diego County. https://t.co/OH6l76KZT2
The loan, from the federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA), will help Poseidon Resources (Channelside) LP continue to provide local, sustainable, drought-proof water to the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies while reducing costs of the current intake modification project.
“Saving ratepayers money while enhancing environmental protections is solid gold,” said Water Authority Board Chair Mel Katz. “The team effort between Poseidon, the Water Authority and Congressman Levin illustrates our commitment to find cost savings wherever we can while continuing to provide safe and reliable water supplies for our region.”
The San Diego County Water Authority added desalinated seawater to its supply portfolio in 2015 with the start of commercial operations at the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
100 billion gallons of drinking water
The Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient desalination plant in the nation, and it has produced more than 100 billion gallons of drinking water for San Diego County since operations began in December 2015.
“Since the beginning, Poseidon Resources’ mission has been to provide high-quality drinking water and a long-term sustainable solution for San Diego County while protecting ratepayers,” said Sachin Chawla, president of Poseidon Resources. “This infusion of low-interest capital and close partnerships with U.S. EPA and the Water Authority will further support modernizing Carlsbad’s Desalination Plant for future generations.”
Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis is the heart of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant. During this process, dissolved salt and other minerals are separated from the water, making it fit for consumption. This reverse osmosis building contains more than 2,000 pressure vessels housing more than 16,000 reverse osmosis membranes. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
New intake and discharge facilities
The new intake and discharge facilities at the Carlsbad Desalination Plant will ensure the plant continues to meet California’s stringent Ocean Plan standards for protecting marine life. Work started in January 2023 and the new facilities are anticipated to be operational by December 2024. Except for a planned plant outage required near the end of the project to connect the new facilities to the existing intake system, construction is not expected to impact water production.
Diversifying and stretching precious water supplies is essential in the water scarce West.
EPA's # WIFIA loan to @CarlsbadDesal will upgrade the drinking water desalination plant to help address water shortages and protect critical marine habitats in the San Diego Bay. pic.twitter.com/NzMEXucb2Z
“Diversifying and stretching precious water supplies is essential in the water scarce West,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “Our WIFIA loan to Poseidon Resources in San Diego County will be used for both upgrading the drinking water desalination plant to help address water shortages, stretch precious water supplies, and protect critical marine habitats in the San Diego Bay.”
WIFIA program and water infrastructure
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program administered by EPA. The WIFIA program’s aim is to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental credit assistance for regionally and nationally significant projects.
The WIFIA program has an active pipeline of pending applications for projects that will result in billions of dollars in water infrastructure investment and thousands of jobs. With this WIFIA loan closing, EPA has announced 101 WIFIA loans that are providing $17 billion in credit assistance to help finance $37 billion for water infrastructure while creating 125,000 jobs and saving ratepayers over $5 billion.
— San Diego County Water Authority (@sdcwa) March 11, 2023
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Drinking-water-EKJ-Carlbad-desal-plant-primary.jpg450845Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-24 10:21:572023-03-24 17:43:56EPA Financing for Carlsbad Desalination Plant Saves Water Ratepayers up to $54 Million
Fix a Leak Week is an opportunity for all water users to repair leaks and save our most precious resource. The week (March 20-26) is a reminder every March to check indoor and outdoor plumbing systems for costly, wasteful water leaks.
Increasing awareness of opportunities to repair leaks is supported by the San Diego County Water Authority and its 24 member agencies, and by other regional WaterSense partners throughout North America.
“While Fix a Leak Week is a reminder to save water by repairing leaks, San Diegans continue to be WaterSmart by upgrading plumbing devices with high-efficiency toilets and low-flow showerheads, and by using smart irrigation controllers that automatically adjust with the weather,” said Water Resources Specialist Debby Dunn, with the San Diego County. “We encourage residents and businesses to take advantage of the rebates available to save water indoors and outdoors.”
Minor leaks, water waste
Minor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. For example, repairing a leaky toilet can save up to 500 gallons of water a day. In just a month, that’s enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
According to the EPA, an average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. Homes with easily correctable leaks can waste 90 gallons or more per day. By fixing easily correctable leaks, consumers can save water cut an average of 10% off their monthly water bill.
Upgrade or repair leaking fixtures indoors and outside
Adding water efficient upgrades will help meet long-term regional conservation goals. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
The Water Authority has partnered with San Diego Gas and Electric to install nearly 4,000 WaterSense-labeled showerheads and 2,213 water-efficient toilets for residents. A $3 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources Urban Community Drought relief grant program will fund the installation of 7,300 additional toilets and smart irrigation controllers. The upgrades will save about 6,000 acre-feet of water. Replacing inefficient or leaking toilets with high-efficiency models reduces water use by 60%.
March Fix a Leak Week 2023
Regional water agencies help customers save water and money
The Vallecitos Water District added a new video for 2023 to its award-winning series helping customers find and fix leaks to save water and money. This year, Vallecitos Water District asks viewers to take the “10 Minute Challenge.”
The Sweetwater Authority is offering tips for consumers and rebates of up to $75 for leak repairs made through June 30. Consumers can schedule a free water audit by calling the Water Efficiency Hotline at 619-409-6779 or email
The Sweetwater Authority also offers customers a $75 rebate to replace or install a new pressure-reducing valve at their home. The valves help to address high pressure that can cause increased wear on fittings, making them more prone to leaks.
A rebate of up to $100 is also available for qualifying leak detectors and flow monitors, which can alert customers to potential leaks through an app on their smartphone. Check out all the water efficiency rebates: www.sweetwater.org/rebates.
Minor water leaks account for more than a trillion gallons of water wasted each year in homes across the United States. Photo: Rajesh Balouria
The Otay Water District offers helpful tips to fix leaks and save water on its website and its social media, including:
Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you may have a leak. Visit otaywater.gov/how-to-read-your-meter to learn how to track your water use.
Place a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank and wait 10 minutes without flushing. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak.
Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.
Easy fix for some leaks
Leaky showerheads or dripping faucets are often easy to fix, requiring common tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. How much? According to the EPA Fix-A-Week-Leak website, each average household with unaddressed leaks can account for 10,000 gallons of water loss every year, enough to wash 300 loads of laundry.
Investing just 10 minutes to perform a quick search of your home and fixing them can save an additional 10% on your water bill.
Check WaterSmartSD.org for tips and for more information about Fix a Leak Week.
To educate water users and promote the importance of repairing leaks to conserve and protect the water supply, Fix a Leak Week was created in 2009 by the Environmental Protection Agency WaterSense program.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District, Otay Water District and Sweetwater Authority are three of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook indicates the abnormally wet winter will further improve drought across much of the western U.S. as the snowpack melts in the coming months. Winter precipitation, combined with recent storms, wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020, and is expected to further improve drought conditions this spring.
Significant flooding in the western U.S., especially in California, followed another series of strong Pacific storms that battered the region in March, and piled on to an already historic snowpack.
NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook highlights temperature, precipitation, drought and flood predictions for April through June to help the nation prepare for potential weather and climate threats to lives and livelihoods.
Climate change – wet and dry extremes
“Climate change is driving both wet and dry extremes, as illustrated by NOAA’s observations and data that inform this seasonal outlook,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and in support of the Biden Administration’s priority to tackle the climate crisis, NOAA will invest significant resources to build a Climate-Ready Nation that gives communities tailored information about changing conditions so that residents and economies are protected.”
March Snow Drought Update
While the Snow Piles Up Across California and the Great Basin, Snow Drought Concerns Have Popped Up in Parts of the Northwest and Southern Colorado
Spring Outlook for drought, temperature and precipitation
On March 9, NOAA forecasters declared La Niña over. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate pattern, based on changes in rainfall and sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean, that influences temperature and precipitation around the world. La Niña occurs when ocean temperatures are cooler than normal and rainfall is reduced in the eastern to central Pacific Ocean.
El Niño and La Niña
“La Niña has finally ended after being in place nearly continuously for more than two years,” said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the operational prediction branch at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service. “ENSO-neutral — the transition period between El Niño and La Niña — is likely to continue into the early summer with elevated chances of El Niño developing thereafter. ENSO-neutral is factored into NOAA’s Spring Outlook.”
Moderate to exceptional drought coverage across the U.S. is at its lowest since August 2020 and is likely to continue improving, or end entirely, across much of California and the Great Basin. The spring wet season is expected to improve drought conditions across parts of the northern and central Plains. Current drought conditions in Florida are expected to improve or go away during the next three months.
Areas of extreme to exceptional drought across parts of the southern High Plains are likely to persist through the spring season, with drought also expected to develop into parts of New Mexico. Across parts of the Northwest U.S. and northern Rockies, drought conditions are also expected to continue. Drought may develop into parts of Washington state.
Above-average temperatures are favored for much of the southern and eastern half of the U.S. For April through June, the greatest chance for above-average temperatures exists from the southern High Plains eastward to Florida, and northward along the East Coast. Above-average temperatures are also likely for Hawaii and northern parts of Alaska. Below-average temperatures are predicted for the central Great Basin and the northern Plains.
California endures flooding, landslides, and evacuations
Parts of central and southern California that were still reeling from heavy snowfall earlier this month received yet another powerful atmospheric river which exited the region on March 15. Flooding, landslides, power outages, and evacuations are among the many impacts residents faced from the recent storm. The above graphic depicts most of the state receiving between 300-600% of normal precipitation over the last seven days. — USDA Water and Climate Update
Below-average precipitation like for the Southwest
NOAA forecasters predict above-average precipitation this spring across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Below-average precipitation is most likely for the Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DWR-March-3-2023-snow-survey-Primary-1.jpg450845Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-16 15:00:592023-03-16 17:26:55NOAA Spring Outlook: California Drought Cut by Half with More Relief to Come
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors accepted at its March 15 meeting California Water Environment Association San Diego section’s 2022 Plant of the Year Award for its 4S Ranch Water Reclamation Facility.
The Plant of the Year award acknowledges OMWD’s 4S Ranch WRF accomplishments in regulatory compliance, innovative practices, cost-effectiveness, and superior plant operations.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Olivenhain-Logo-Square.jpg200200Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-15 18:07:332023-03-15 18:10:454S Ranch Reclamation Facility Honored as California’s Plant of the Year
A new recycled water pipeline is being tapped by Olivenhain Municipal Water District customers for landscape irrigation.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District has successfully converted Westmont of Encinitas to recycled water for landscape irrigation. The assisted living facility is the first of many customers along the Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real corridor to tap into the newly installed recycled water pipeline.
Additional customers along the corridor are working to convert their irrigation systems to accommodate the new recycled water supply, which will ultimately reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 27 million gallons every year. As the impact of California’s drought continues to be challenging, projects like this that help save potable water are even more urgent.
Drought-resilient supplies
“With the unprecedented drought situation we’re in, reducing our reliance on imported water is essential,” said OMWD Board Secretary Larry Watt. “Investing in drought-resilient supplies is a top priority and every new recycled water customer we connect to our distribution system decreases demand for imported water.”
North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project
The new pipeline is an element of the larger North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project — a collaborative effort among nine North County agencies that coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries. The recycled water being delivered through the new pipeline is produced at San Elijo Joint Powers Authority’s water reclamation facility in Cardiff.
State and federal grants
OMWD has aggressively sought grant funding for the pipeline project to make it cost-effective for ratepayers. The efforts have been successful, with OMWD achieving $1,350,000 from California’s Department of Water Resources for two separate segments of the pipeline. The pipeline is part of a suite of OMWD recycled water projects included in the North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project that was awarded $23.9 million in funds from the US Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.
The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County.
(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the San Diego County region.)
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recycled-water-OMWD-Primary.jpg450845Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-15 17:33:102023-03-15 17:33:10Recycled Water Pipeline Benefits Olivenhain Municipal Water District Customers
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District has successfully converted Westmont of Encinitas to recycled water for landscape irrigation. The assisted living facility is the first of many customers along the Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real corridor to tap into the newly installed recycled water pipeline.
Additional customers along the corridor are working to convert their irrigation systems to accommodate the new recycled water supply, which will ultimately reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 27 million gallons every year. As the impact of California’s drought continues to be challenging, projects like this that help save potable water are even more urgent.
https://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Olivenhain-Logo-Square.jpg200200Mike Leehttps://www.waternewsnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WNN-Horizontal-White-Blue2.pngMike Lee2023-03-15 16:57:162023-03-15 16:57:16OMWD Converting More Customers to Recycled Water
