LWVMP President's Message
I have been representing the League on the Regional Plenary Oversight Group, which was convened by the Division of Ratepayer Advocates of the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to develop alternatives to CalAm's proposed desalination project known as the Coastal Water Project. The CalAm proposal is for a 10,500 acre-feet per year (AFY) facility; an alternative 20,000+ AFY facility is also being proposed.
Alternatives developed by the Oversight Group will be described in the environmental impact report for the Coastal Water Project. Depending on their feasibility, the PUC could select alternative(s) prepared by this group over the Coastal Water Project.
Alternatives must address the State Water Resources Control Board's requirement to eliminate pumping of 10,000 acre-feet per year (AFY) from the Carmel River. Alternatives must also find 2,500 AFY to eliminate overdraft of the Seaside Aquifer.
The following is being considered to address these minimum requirements:
- 150 AFY from increased conservation
- 500 AFY from storm water runoff*
- 920 AFY diverted from the Carmel River to the Seaside aquifer during winter and spring (known as Seaside Aquifer Storage an recovery)*
- 300 AFY from the City of Sand City's desalination plant*
- 300 AFY of recycled water for landscaping*
- 2,500 AFY from potable reclaimed water
- 8,300 AFY more from desalination
This alternative has many advantages over a larger desalination facility.
First it is incremental allowing the least controversial projects and those with the fewest environmental impacts to move forward. Four of the projects (identified with an *) are already being implemented.
Second, the desalination plant is of a size that could be developed by the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District within its jurisdiction, i.e., in Sand City.
And, finally, it is not growth-inducing. Given the uncertainties of development and operation of a large desalination plant, a smaller facility developed by a public agency has advantages over the Coastal Water Project.
The proposed alternative meets many of the League's positions on water. The League calls for a water supply that encourages a variety of water supply sources such as conservation, including saving "lost water" and reclamation. The League also supports a water supply alternative that secures a long-term water supply and provides for drought protection and coordination of water and land use planning. The League's Natural Resources Committee will continue to follow this alternative as it is refined during the next few months.
In addition to the "no-growth" alternative, the Oversight Group is developing a regional alternative that would include enough water for about 5,600 additional homes within the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and supplemental water for the Salinas Ground Water Basin to address water needs in North Monterey County. All the projects identified above would be expanded. In addition, the Salinas River would be tapped for additional supplies. There are many unanswered questions about this expanded alternative. Among the major concerns is its growth-inducing potential.
Stay tuned - maybe there is more water in our future!
Janet Brennan
