The San Diego County Water Authority announced Friday it would cease work on a seawater desalination plant at Camp Pendleton because of excessive permitting and cost hurdles by the State Lands Commission. The Water Authority’s Board of Directors approved a $4.05 million contract to develop the desalination pilot facility in 2015, with additional funding from state and federal agencies. However, the necessity for the plant has lessened as local municipalities like the City of San Diego developed their own water purification programs. The Water Authority claims that the State Lands Commission added additional permitting hurdles as the need for the plant dropped.