Largest Desal Plant In Western Hemisphere May Encourage Public

The largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, under construction in Carlsbad, CA, could function as an ambassador to the public on the benefits of this water treatment process.

For Poseidon Water, the Boston company building the plant — and for the international desalination industry— the opening of the plant later this year presents “an opportunity to try to disprove the criticism that dogs such projects: that they are exorbitantly expensive, hog energy and damage the environment,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

“The technology being installed, though not altogether new, has been upgraded by experts from an Israeli company. The Israelis will help run the plant and are looking to hire former U.S. Marines to work there,” the report said.

Desalination is controversial in California. Environmentalists are wary of the notion that it is a panacea for drought. A host of environmental groups said in a statement that "seawater desalination should only be pursued with caution and only after conservation, stormwater capture through the use of 'green infrastructure,' water use efficiency, and wastewater recycling have all been fully implemented," according to a blog post by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The Carlsbad project could set the tone for the future of desalination in California.

"Carlsbad is going to change the way we see water in California for decades," said Peter MacLaggan, a Poseidon Water vice president, per the report. "It's not a silver bullet to solve all our water problems, but it's going to be another tool in the toolbox."

The plant, located in San Diego County, is at the center of what backers call the Silicon Valley of desalination.

“Dozens of companies employ 3,000 workers to provide the delicate, complex membranes needed for the world's plants that specialize in desalination and water reuse,” the report said.

Project coordinators aim to have water delivery up and running later this year, according to project documents. That's after walking a long, hard road to regulatory approval.

"After twelve years of planning and over six years in the state’s permitting process, the Carlsbad Desalination Project has received final approvals from every required regulatory and permitting agency in the state, including the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission and Regional Water Quality Control Board," the documents explain.

For more on source water desalination, visit Water Online’s Desalination Solutions Center.