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Is Seawater Desalination Right for California?

/in , , /by /WaterWorldby Erik Desormeaux

With an unclear future for the state’s freshwater sources, California’s interest in seawater desalination continues to grow. Support for desalination in California is growing. Currently, California has 12 seawater desalination facilities, but only two are of a significant size. Although a key state agency has recently approved plans for two more moderate size facilities, the perception of seawater desalination in the state is quite poor and project proposals face a steep uphill battle.

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Thirst for Water: How the Nation’s Largest Desalination Plant is Generating Change

/in , , , /by /Water Onlineby Vic Bianes and Jeremy Crutchfield Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

When the nation’s largest desalination plant opened in Carlsbad, California, in 2015, people across the country were watching to see how it increased water supplies as groundwater dwindled, reservoirs dried up, and drought ravaged the Golden State.

Nearly 10 years later, the plant has demonstrated how seawater desalination can play a pivotal role in achieving water security.

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Imperial Beach Mayor Will Represent San Diego Coast in State Commission

/in , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Tammy Murga

Paloma Aguirre will represent San Diego County on the California Coastal Commission with a focus on equitable access to the coast.

The Imperial Beach mayor will serve the remainder of former Commissioner Steve Padilla’s term, which expires May 2025. Padilla, a former Chula Vista council member, is now serving in the Legislature.

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South Coast Water District’s Desalination Project Will Provide a Local, Reliable Water Supply

/in , , /by /Orange Coast Magazine

South Coast Water District plans to decrease its reliance on imported water by creating a local, reliable, drought-proof supply through the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project. The project would also provide emergency water should the delivery of imported water be disrupted by earthquakes or other natural disasters.

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Marina, 3 Water Agencies Sue Coastal Commission

/in , , /by /Monterey Heraldby Dennis L. Taylor

Elected officials in Marina have joined forces with three water agencies in a lawsuit against the California Coastal Commission over its tentative permitting in November of California American Water Co.’s desalination project.

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As Desalination Gains Traction in Parts of California, Santa Cruz Weighs Future of Its Water Supply

/in , , /by /Lookout Santa Cruzby Christopher Neely

When it comes to the view of desalination as a tool to drought-proof local water systems in California, 2022 has been a roller-coaster year. In May, the California Coastal Commission, a 12-member appointed board responsible for overseeing the state’s 1,100 miles of coastline, rejected on environmental grounds a $1.4 billion desalination facility proposed for Huntington Beach.

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Drought-Stricken CA Increasingly Turning to Desalination of Ocean Water

/in , , /by /KCRWby Nihar Patel

The California Coastal Commission recently approved the construction of two more desalination plants, one near Monterrey, and one by Dana Point. This adds to the four already providing drinking water in the state. But in 2020, this same commission advised not to build the Monterey plant. What changed?

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The Monterey Area May Get a Huge Desalination Plant. Is This the Future of California’s Water Supply?

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicleby Kurtis Alexander

With California butting up against 840 miles of ocean, desalination seems an obvious solution to the state’s water woes. However, the cost, energy demands and environmental impacts have made the technology largely unworkable. Three years of drought may be changing the calculus.

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California Approves Desalination Plant as Historic Drought Hits Water Supplies

/in , , /by /CNBCby Emma Newburger

California regulators this week approved a $140 million desalination plant that could convert up to 5 million gallons of seawater each day into drinking water, as the state grapples with a persistent megadrought and plummeting water supplies.

The state’s Coastal Commission on Thursday voted 11-0 to approve the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project in Orange County in Southern California. The plant could be functioning within the next five years and supply water for thousands of people in the South Coast Water District.

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Amid Historic Drought, California Expected to Approve $140 Million Desalination Plant

/in , /by /Reutersby Daniel Trotta

A $140 million desalination plant is expected to be approved by California regulators on Thursday as the U.S. state contends with how to convert ocean water into drinking water amid the worst drought in 1,200 years.

Just five months ago, the Coastal Commission by an 11-0 vote rejected a privately owned plant that would have been 10 times the size of the proposed South Coast Water District’s Doheny Ocean Desalination Project in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles.

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