Firm wants to desalt Sonoran seawater, sell it to Arizona cities
A state water board unanimously agreed Tuesday to start discussions with a giant Israeli company over its proposal to build a $5.5 billion seawater desalination plant on the Sonoran coast and sell desalted water to Arizona users. If such a plant were ultimately approved and built, a final signoff by this board, which is a ways off, would commit the state to providing financial backup toward repaying the construction cost if the plant can’t sell enough water to customers in Arizona and Sonora to cover all those costs. Brushing aside complaints from some citizens that it’s moving too fast, the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority’s governing board voted 9-0 to take the first step toward clearing the way for construction of such a plant, while acknowledging that many issues about its cost and potential environmental impacts need further discussion and negotiation.
Related articles:
- Arizona Capitol Times: Ducey’s desalination plan clears first hurdle
- The Arizona Republic: Arizona considers piping water from Mexico