Michael Smolens: Let’s Make a (Water) Deal!
San Diego County Water Authority opens negotiations to sell some of its surplus to a small district in southern Orange County. It’s another step in a new direction for the agency.
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Desalination Funding Cut Amid State Budget Shortfall
Former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s multi-billion dollar plan for a desalination plant or other hugely expensive project to add to the desert state’s imperiled water supply is still alive and has the support of his successor despite a budget crunch that will crimp funding needed to get a project built.
EPA Financing for Desal Plant Saves Water Ratepayers up to $54 Million
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.”
Thirst for Water: How the Nation’s Largest Desalination Plant is Generating Change
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.
As Desalination Gains Traction in Parts of California, Santa Cruz Weighs Future of Its Water Supply
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.
Water Authority Board OKs $274 Million Upgrade of Desal Plant to Protect Marine Life
The San Diego County Water Authority‘s board has unanimously approved $275 million in upgrades to the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant to protect marine life.
New seawater intake and discharge facilities have been in the plans since construction of the plant began a decade ago. Originally the plant shared intake with the nearby Encino generating station, but that has since been dismantled.
Coastal Commission Approves Cal Am’s Desal Plant in Marina, but Many Hurdles Remain.
After more than a decade in the trying, a major desalination plant to serve the Monterey Peninsula has cleared a significant hurdle—in theory, at least. In a 13-hour meeting that adjourned just after 10pm on Thursday, Nov. 17, the California Coastal Commission approved a conditional coastal development permit for California American Water, the private water utility that serves the greater Monterey Peninsula, to build a desalination project in neighboring Marina, a city whose residents are vehemently opposed to it, and who would not be served by it.
The Monterey Area May Get a Huge Desalination Plant. Is This the Future of California’s Water Supply?
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.
Opinion: Desalination Will Be Key to California’s Water Future. It Needs to Improve First
If the climate crisis is coming, the water crisis is already here. As rice fields were fallowed in California, Lake Mead water levels almost sunk so low that Hoover Dam could no longer generate power, and life-threatening toxic dust blew off the dried-up Salton Sea. Thirty percent of the world population will face water shortages of some kind by 2025. Things are only going to get worse.
Joint Effort to Build Desal Facility Could Help Fight Drought
Facing a dry future, Westlands and westside towns like Avenal need each other.
Small western Fresno and Kings County towns like Coalinga, Huron and Avenal are in the same boat as Westlands Water District. They have no potable local water supply but depend on imports from Northern California.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
