South Coast Board Poised to Make Another Decision on Doheny Desalination Facility

A proposed desalination facility producing 5 million gallons of drinkable water a day would satisfy the needs of all South Coast Water District customers, district General Manager Andy Brunhart said this week, though he added the agency would not rely completely on that source to serve ratepayers. The 5-acre Doheny Ocean Desalination Project would be built on 30 acres of district-owned property near San Juan Creek in Dana Point. “We would never want to be 100% desalinated water,” Brunhart said Thursday. “We always want to take some [imported] water so pumps do not rust and decay.”