Carlsbad's future quality of life depends on having a reliable and affordable supply of water. Prolonged drought, environmental problems and legal restrictions on the Colorado River and the Bay-Delta in Northern California have triggered the need to develop new water supplies, ideally ones that are locally controlled.

The Carlsbad Desalination Project is a 50-million gallon a day seawater desalination plant that will supply the San Diego region with approximately 10 percent of its drinking water needs. The project, being developed by Poseidon Resources Corp., will be the first large scale desalination plant on the West Coast and the largest of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

What’s the project’s status?

After more than a decade of planning and five years in the state's permitting process, the Carlsbad Desalination Plant has now 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.  Poseidon Resources Corp. is in the process of finalizing the project’s financing and working with the San Diego County Water Authority on the details of a water purchase arrangement. The project could be completed as early as 2013.

What’s Carlsbad’s role in the project?

Recognizing the importance of securing a sustainable future water supply that is locally controlled, more than 10 years ago city officials took a leadership position in working with Poseidon Resources to develop a desalination project in Carlsbad.

The Carlsbad Municipal Water District, a subsidiary district of the City of Carlsbad, was the first water agency in San Diego County to negotiate a contract with Poseidon Resources to purchase water from the project. The landmark deal, called a water purchase agreement, cleared the way for the public-private partnership between the city and Poseidon Resources that enabled the project to become a reality. The terms of the agreement ensure the community will have a reliable, drought-proof water supply developed at no additional expense to the region's taxpayers.

Poseidon Resources in now in discussions with the San Diego County Water Authority on a possible new water purchase agreement.  Under such an agreement, the Water Authority would buy all the water from Poseidon and deliver it to water agencies, including the City of Carlsbad, instead of water agencies buying it directly from Poseidon. 

Will Carlsbad get all its water from the desalination project?

Under the current agreement, the city plans to use water from the desalination plant for the majority of the Carlsbad Municipal Water District’s supply. The water district would continue to purchase some water from the San Diego County Water Authority, the region’s water wholesaler. This arrangement allows the water district to remain a member of the water authority and have another supply of water available in case of an emergency with the desalination plant.  

Will Carlsbad residents still have to conserve?

Water conservation will continue to be a way of life in Carlsbad because it is the right thing to do for the environment and helps the city be more sustainable. After the desalination project is complete, when water restrictions are imposed on the region, the effect on Carlsbad will not be as drastic as on other water agencies that rely more heavily on imported water sources.

What will the plant look like?

The project will be two-stories high, located north of the existing power plant. It will replace an old storage tank, which is higher than the new plant will be. The exterior of the plant will be built to look like an office building rather than an industrial building, so it will be compatible with future redevelopment of the power plant site once the old power plant is torn down.

What happens when the old power plant is torn down?

The desalination plant would not be significantly affected if current operating conditions at the power plant were to change. Poseidon and the City of Carlsbad have always anticipated that the desalination plant would eventually outlive the power plant. Poseidon has acquired the first right to use the power station water intake and outfall facilities, to continue full operations for up to 60 years. 

What about the proposed second power plant?

A second power plant is proposed just east of the desalination project site. This project, if approved, would not affect the desalination plant.

Will the project cause growth?

No. Growth in Carlsbad and San Diego County will occur in accordance with land use policies. In Carlsbad, voters approved a Growth Management Plan in 1986, which limits the amount of building that can occur and sets aside 40 percent of the city as open space.  Regionally, SANDAG has projected that the county's population will grow by one million by 2030, with most of that occurring from births rather than in-migration. This project will help meet these projected needs and compensate for the expected cutbacks of supply from Northern California and the Colorado River. 

What are the project’s effects on marine life?

The city took the initiative during the environmental review process to extensively study the desalination plant's impact to the environment. The city’s certified EIR concluded that the desalination plant can operate without significant impacts to marine life. In fact, since the desalination plant will use the same seawater intake pipeline that the power plant uses now, effects are essentially the same as current conditions. When the power plant stops using the intake, the desalination plant will continue to use it. But since the desalination plan requires only about half the water as the power plant currently uses, the overall seawater intake will be reduced.  

Does desalination require a lot of energy?

Carlsbad’s current water supply must be pumped from hundreds of miles away, over mountains, requiring significant energy. Although seawater desalination also requires energy, the desalination plant will be “carbon neutral” because Poseidon Resources is mitigating the plant’s energy use.  

What does the water taste like?

Desalinated water is very high quality and tastes much like bottled water.