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 [was] a roller-coaster year. In May, the California Coastal Commission… rejected on environmental grounds a $1.4 billion desalination facility proposed for Huntington Beach…. Six months later, the commission turned around and approved two desalination facilities, one in Orange County and another along Monterey Bay in Monterey County. Then … the Santa Cruz City Council on Nov. 29 approved a water-supply strategy that listed desalination as one of four water-supply projects on the table to secure the city’s water system in an increasingly uncertain climate future…. 2023 will see the Santa Cruz City Council begin the process of vetting the water-supply options in front of the city.