Carlsbad’s desalination plant unanimously approved
August 23rd, 2008 Categories: Carlsbad Business Community, Carlsbad City, Carlsbad Outdoor Events, Carlsbad Real Estate
CARLSBAD– The States Land Commission unanimously approved the desalination project slated to be built on the Encina power plant site in Carlsbad. This was the final regulatory approval the project needed in order to start construction next year with the goal of water production starting in 2011.
The plant, which will produce about 50 million gallons of freshwater from 200 million gallons, will be the largest desalination in the western hemisphere according to Reuters.
With the Carlsbad project receiving final approval, this helps clear the way for approval of approximately 20 other desalination project proposed for the California coast.
Earlier this week the first of what will probably be several legal challenges was rejected by the State Water Resources Control Board. The suit filed by the Surfrider Foundation said plans to minimize environmental damage the plant would cause were 
insufficient.
The Coastal Commission also this month approved a second plant to be built on the Monterey Peninsula to provide water for a development near Cannery Row. This plant is much smaller and will produce about 25,000 a day.
While I believe these projects are necessary and I support the idea, I fear not much good will actually come from them if they are tied to development such as the Monterey project. We need new water sources to help meet our current needs. This is evident by the state’s current drought situation.
“It is easy for Sacramento to put off dealing with the water infrastructure,” Schwarzenegger said. “But as we now see, there is no more time to waste, because nothing is more vital than to protect our economy, to protect our environment, and to protect our quality of life.” -CNN.com, June, 5, 2008
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