“As San Diegans with long teeth recall, the $1 billion
desalination plant in Carlsbad is not the region’s first
large-scale experience with a life-source science that dates
back centuries.
“In 1960, the Interior Department’s 8-year-old ‘Office of
Saline Water’ broke ground on a flash evaporation plant near
the tip of Point Loma.”
“One year after construction began, the $1 billion Carlsbad
desalination plant is under budget and on schedule to begin
producing 50 million gallons of drinking water per day two
years from now. …
“Poseidon Water, the private company building the plant, and
the water authority, which is partnering on the project, will
give tours of the plant Wednesday to local media and
politicians.”
“Simply put, 2013 was a watershed year for water agencies in
Santa Cruz County.
“Often in short supply in California, water became an even
greater environmental and political focal point in 2013 — the
driest on record for some parts of the state — after the city
of Santa Cruz drew down its reservoir to the lowest level in
nearly two decades and pressed the pause button on a
controversial seawater desalination facility.”
“The city of Santa Cruz opened the application process Thursday
for a new citizen-led advisory panel that will study water
supply and management options for at least the next year.
“The City Council approved the formation of the 14-member task
force Nov. 26 to lead a new public outreach effort on water
planning.
“In a rare example of regional cooperation, Israeli, Palestinian
and Jordanian officials have signed an agreement aimed at
generating new water sources for all three and saving the Dead
Sea, a unique nature site and prime economic asset.”
From The Desert Sun, in a commentary by Jerome H. Holmlund:
“The Salton Sea water loss poses a growing environmental and
economic threat to the Coachella Valley, Imperial County and
the state. …
“In the 21st century, why should the Coachella Valley and
Imperial County be threatened with severe economic and
environmental problems, and the Salton Sea’s preservation
questioned, to transfer water from a desert to cities on the
shores of the Pacific Ocean?
“A state Public Utilities Commission judge has indefinitely
postponed review of a highly secretive settlement agreement
proposal between California American Water and Monterey County
over the failed regional desalination project.”
“At a recent state Coastal Commission hearing on a proposed
seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach, the debate was
not about the merits of using the Pacific Ocean as a water
source.
“If you’d like to know more about what the Monterey County
government staff did to help get a desalination plant, or what
they might have done to make the project fail, well you can
forget about it. You may be paying for their work, but what
they did is none of your business.
“That’s how the Public Utilities Commission sees it.”
“State coastal commissioners Wednesday postponed a vote on a
proposed seawater desalination plant after concluding that they
lacked the information to decide whether a key part of the
proposal should be redesigned.
“A state board with too many questions and not enough answers
has postponed a decision on the Poseidon Water desalination
plant.
“California Coastal Commissioners on Wednesday determined they
want Poseidon to further study how the proposed $899 million
project could operate in Huntington Beach.”
“State coastal officials say a hotly disputed proposal to turn
ocean water into tap in Orange County should be revamped to
protect marine life but the company planning to build what would
be one of the Western Hemisphere’s two biggest desalination
plants called the recommended changes a deal killer.”
“Poseidon Water
is seeking final approval for its 50 million-gallon
desalination facility, but it won’t come without a fight from
environmentalists and a push for changes to the company’s
plan.
“The California Coastal Commission will take up the issue today
in Newport Beach – 15 years after the company started its quest
to build the facility at Newland Street and Pacific Coast
Highway.”
“Poseidon Water is seeking final approval for its
50-million-gallon desalination facility, but it won’t come
without a fight from environmentalists and a push for changes
to the company’s plan.
“The California Coastal Commission will take up the issue
Wednesday in Newport Beach, 15 years after the company started
its quest to build the facility at Newland Street and Pacific
Coast Highway.”
“A proposed seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach
could significantly harm parts of the Southern California ocean
environment unless substantial changes are made in its design
and operation, according to the staff of the state Coastal
Commission.
“A staff report prepared for this week’s commission vote on the
project highlights the potential downside of large-scale
efforts to turn the salty water of the Pacific Ocean into
drinking supplies for coastal California.”
“Drakes Bay Oyster Co., a West Marin County company, plants and
harvests a third of California’s oysters and owns the state’s
only oyster cannery. In February, the Coastal Commission
issued a cease-and-desist order …
“Against that backdrop, the Coastal Commission will hold
hearings this week in Newport Beach on a proposal by Poseidon
Water to construct and operate a seawater desalination plant
adjacent to the AES Power Station in Huntington Beach.”
“Sparse rain coupled with salty seawater eating at the water
supply that feeds homes and businesses from Capitola to La
Selva Beach has Soquel Creek Water District leaders seriously
weighing alternative supplies.
“District leaders said one possible solution to the ongoing
shortage saga is to join a regional multimillion dollar
desalination plant proposed for Moss Landing that would also be
used in the Monterey and Salinas areas.”
