Statement From Orange County Water District President Steve Sheldon Regarding Huntington Beach Desalination Project

The Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) joins Governor Gavin Newsom and Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins in calling on the California Coastal Commission to approve without delay the Huntington Beach Desalination Project on May 12, 2022.

With Southern California’s water reserves dropping lower every day and this seawater desalination project the only new, large water supply project in the entire state of California that can be shovel ready in the immediate future, we call upon the Coastal Commissioners to approve the permit.

The Coastal Commission staff report and recommendation reek of bias. Parts of the report are false and misleading, other parts are contradictory, scientifically unsound, defy common sense, and conflict with the findings of other environmental regulatory agencies that have approved the project.

It is the Orange County Water District's statutory authority to determine the best sources and uses of water. We call upon the commissioners to respect our statutory authority and professional judgement as water professionals. Please approve the project and give OCWD the tools to help make Orange County and the Southern California region more drought resilient.

About Orange County Water District
The Orange County Water District is committed to enhancing Orange County’s groundwater quality and reliability in an environmentally friendly and economical manner. The following cities rely on the groundwater basin, managed by OCWD, to provide 77% of their water demands: Anaheim, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Newport Beach, Orange, Placentia, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Stanton, Tustin, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda. For more information, visit www.ocwd.com.