Question 1

Where does San Diego County get its drinking water today?

Accepted Answer

A single supplier, the San Diego County Water Authority, historically imported up to 90% of the region's water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The rest comes from groundwater, local surface water, recycled water, conservation and NOW seawater desalintion.

Question 2

Why is seawater desalination better than importing water or relying on other supplies of water?

Accepted Answer

The Pacific Ocean represents the ultimate drought-proof resource. The desalination plant provides San Diego County water agencies complete control of a local drinking water supply that is not dependent on local rainfall, snowpack in the Sierras or outside suppliers. Diversification and local control are essential to good planning and self-sustainability. That is why the San Diego County Water Authority has declared desalination to be its "preferred alternative" to diversify its drinking water supplies.

Question 3

What impact will desalination have on our long-term water supply?

Accepted Answer

The Carlsbad facility provides up to 54 million gallons per day of safe, sustainable, environmentally benign, drought-proof drinking water. It offsets some of the need for imported water and provides more than 10% of the region's drinking water, alleviating demand on the traditional sources, and contributing to the regional supply.

Question 4

Where is the Carlsbad Plant located?

Accepted Answer

The Plant is located on an existing industrially-zoned site, adjacent to Lifeguard Tower 30 on Carlsbad Boulevard, approximately 35 miles north of San Diego.

Question 5

How does San Diego County benefit from the plant?

Accepted Answer

In addition to having a new source of water that is drought-proof, locally controlled and reduces dependence on water imported from Northern California and the Colorado River, the project benefits include an economic impact of 42 full-time employees, supports 500 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and contributes $50 million in estimated annual spending to the county's economy.

Question 6

How long did it take for the plant to become fully operational?

Accepted Answer

Build-out took three years, with the plant coming online in December 2015.

Question 7

Were city or state tax dollars used for this project?

Accepted Answer

No, taxpayers and ratepayers are not at risk. Channelside funded the project through the capital markets and contributed equity to the project. Private investors assumed the majority of the risks associated with the project including permitting, designing, building and operating the facility.

Question 8

How much water does the plant provide?

Accepted Answer

The Plant produces 50 million gallons per day (mgd) - enough for 400,000 people or 10% of San Diego County's water supply.

Question 9

Does the desalinated water taste different?

Accepted Answer

The water leaving the Carlsbad Desalination Plant is the highest quality water in the County. Water quality benefits are being seen across the county, from Oceanside down to the Mexican border.

Question 10

What state agency will provide oversight to ensure a safe, reliable drinking water supply for San Diego County consumers?

Accepted Answer

The California State Water Resources Control Board – Division of Drinking Water (DDW) issued its approval for the Carlsbad Desalination Project to produce drinking water prior to the plant coming online in December 2015.

Question 11

What is seawater desalination?

Accepted Answer

It is a process that turns ocean water into fresh drinking water by removing salt and impurities. The process involves either reverse osmosis membrane or thermal distillation (evaporation) technology. Channelside’s projects, including the Carlsbad Desalination Project plant, use reverse osmosis technology.

Question 12

How does the reverse osmosis process work?

Accepted Answer

Water is pushed under high pressure through a semi-permeable membrane to separate salts and other solids from the water molecules. The membrane acts like a microscopic strainer that allows only the water molecules to pass thorough. The technology was developed over 30 years ago in San Diego County.

Question 13

Can the salt and minerals extracted be used?

Accepted Answer

The amount of salt generated is too great to be processed at the project site, while the amount of mineral is too small to justify the expense of additional processing.

Question 14

Where else has desalination been successful?

Accepted Answer

Similar facilities have been operating worldwide for several decades. Desalination is used in arid coastal regions throughout the world. There are more than 21,000 desalination facilities operating worldwide.

Question 15

Does weather affect the availability of water for desalination?

Accepted Answer

No. It is a drought-proof process unaffected by rainfall or other weather conditions. The past three years of operations have determined that even in the most difficult operating conditions, the process works well.

Question 16

If it's so great, why aren't there more plants?

Accepted Answer

Until recently, cost has been the limiting factor. Dramatic technological improvements have made desalination much more cost-effective. For example, the reverse osmosis membranes used today last longer, use significantly less energy and cost much less than they did just a decade ago.

Question 17

What is the quality of the water produced?

Accepted Answer

The desalinated water exceeds all local, state and federal standards for drinking water. The Carlsbad Plant produces some of the highest quality drinking water in the county and water quality benefits are being seen from Oceanside down to the Mexican border. The same reverse osmosis process is used by bottling plants to produce premium drinking water from various sources.

Question 18

Is this plant environmentally sound?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Before being allowed to begin construction, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Drinking Water, the City of Carlsbad and other local agencies were satisfied that the plant and its operations do not significantly impact the environment. The comprehensive review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) involves agencies at the local, state and federal levels and includes input from the local community and environmental stakeholders.

Question 19

Is the facility noisy?

Accepted Answer

No. The plant is completely sound-proof from the exterior. The only source of noise is the high-speed electrical pumps, which are acoustically attenuated to meet or exceed the City of Carlsbad's noise ordinances and the entire plant is screened by a soundwall.

Question 20

Are there byproducts of this process?

Accepted Answer

Concentrated seawater is the primary byproduct. The desalination process converts two gallons of seawater to one gallon of drinking water, and one gallon of water with twice the salinity of seawater. The concentrated seawater is diluted before it enters the ocean in accordance with environmental regulations and as approved by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. A 2019-2023 offshore study found that there were no significant impacts to the water quality or environment outside the brine mixing zone. The plant's operations result in an environmentally safe discharge to the marine environment in compliance with all regulations.

Question 21

Does the facility produce any odor?

Accepted Answer

No. There are no odors on or off the site from the desalination plant.

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