California American Water Archives

Water Company Withdraws Desalination Proposal as Battle over Environmental Justice Heats Up

September 17, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Timesby Rosanna Xia

Amid mounting controversy and concerns over environmental justice, California American Water on Wednesday withdrew its application for a desalination project in the small Monterey Bay town of Marina.

The proposal had become one of the most fraught issues to come before the California Coastal Commission, which was set to vote Thursday. The decision would have been the first major test of the commission’s new power to review not only harm to the environment when making decisions but also harm to underrepresented communities.

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In a Small California Town, a Fight Over Desalination is Now About Environmental Justice

September 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Los Angeles Times by Rosanna Xia

On a barren stretch of Monterey Bay, in a region desperate for fresh water, an oft-overlooked town has little say in whether a big water company can build a desalination operation right on its shore.

Here in Marina, where one-third of the town is low income and many speak little English, industrial facilities have long burdened the landscape. This desalination project would replace a century-old sand mine that has stripped shorebirds and rare butterflies of their home — and the community of an open space where anybody could cool off during a heat wave or enjoy a day by the sea.

Not a drop of this treated water — which would be piped to other cities, businesses and farmers in need — would even be for Marina.

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Coastal Commission to Revisit Cal Am Desal Project Thursday

September 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Monterey Heraldby Jim Johnson

A long-awaited Coastal Commission hearing on California American Water’s proposed Monterey Peninsula desalination project is shaping up to be an all-day affair.

After nine months of waiting, the desal project is set for a special remote commission meeting on Thursday in which the proposal is the lone item on the agenda.

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Environment Report: State Throws Cold Water on Pricing Scheme

September 15, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Voice of San Diegoby MacKenzie Elmer Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

Water customers in Imperial Beach and Coronado were at risk of a suspect pricing mechanism, according to a ratepayer watchdog, until state regulators stepped in late last month. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dive into one of the wonkier features of the state’s water market.

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Water: Coastal Commission Staff Again Advises Desal Project Denial

August 28, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /Monterey Heraldby Jim Johnson

Nine months after the Coastal Commission conducted its first hearing on California American Water’s proposed desalination project, commission staff has again recommended denial of the project in favor of a Pure Water Monterey expansion proposal.

On Tuesday, commission staff released a 154-page staff report essentially reiterating its previous arguments against the Cal Am desal project, including its relative cost, environmental impact and controversial nature. It touted the “feasible and environmentally preferable” recycled water project as a viable alternative in the Monterey Peninsula’s long-running attempts to develop a replacement water supply to offset the state ordered Carmel River cutback order.

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Cal Am Responds to Desal Opposition in Coastal Commission Letter

July 6, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Monterey Heraldby Jim Johnson

California American Water officials are defending the company’s proposed desalination project in response to the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s move last month to formally oppose it at the Coastal Commission in favor of a proposed recycled water expansion.

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Water District Calls on Coastal Commission to Deny Cal Am’s Desalination Permit.

June 17, 2020/in California and the U.S., Home Headline, Media Coverage /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Monterey County Weeklyby Asaf Shalev

To a large extent, the fate of several multi-million dollar water projects on the Monterey Peninsula is in the hands of the California Coastal Commission. The question is whether the commission will grant a development permit for a desalination plant proposed by California American Water—or will the commission deny the permit and implicitly endorse a smaller project that would provide new water to the area by expanding the regional wastewater recycling facility. A vote is expected at the August 12-14 meeting of the commission.

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2020 Landscape Makeover Competition Opens Call For Entries

March 27, 2020/in Home Headline, Media Coverage, San Diego County /by Kimberlyn Velasquez /Water News Networkby Water News Network

Fourteen water agencies in San Diego County seek the best in landscaping makeover projects for the regional WaterSmart 2020 Landscape Makeover competition. The annual contest offers the opportunity to showcase residential waterwise landscaping as a way to inspire other homeowners to consider replacing water-guzzling turf based designs.

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Cal Am Facing Permit Dilemma

February 5, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /KSBW 8 (Salinas, Calif.)by Kristina Lucarelli

California American Water’s Plan for a desalination plant hit a major hurdle last month when the California Coastal Commission told the company it is not ready to make a decision on its permit.

The news came in a letter dated January 28, 2020 and it recommend Cal Am pull its current application and resubmit at a later date. The Coastal Commission cited its likely inability to make a decision in time to meet its own internal deadline per the Permit Streamlining Act.

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California Coastal Commission Staff Asks Cal Am to Postpone Desal Appeal

January 30, 2020/in California and the U.S., Media Coverage /by Mike Lee /The Monterey Herald by Jim Johnson

Coastal Commission staff has recommended California American Water withdraw and resubmit a coastal development permit application involving the company’s proposed Monterey Peninsula desalination project, which would likely postpone a hearing on the desal permit and a pending appeal until September at the earliest.

Acknowledging that further analysis of California American Water’s proposed desalination project won’t be done in time for a planned March hearing, commission staff sent a Jan. 28 letter with the recommendation, which the letter says Cal Am officials requested during conversations earlier this month in order to formalize the staff recommendation.

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