Item 07 - Response to OC Grand Jury Report_ Historic Rain, Yet Drought

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HISTORIC RAIN, YET DROUGHT REMAINS ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY 2022 I 2023 Page 23 of 57 upgrading an older plant. Recently, two new seawater plants have received approval to begin construction: one on the Monterey Peninsula, and the Doheny Plant in Dana Point. Orange County must consider the benefits of a high-capacity facility as a means towards self-sufficiency. Current challenges to desalination include planning, construction costs, impact on marine life from saltwater intake, high energy demands, operating complexities, difficulty of cycling plants on and off, and disposal of concentrated salt brine. Desalination challenges are mitigated by creating economies of scale with high volume production and careful planning, selecting suitable locations, and technological improvements. For example, the Carlsbad plant produces 50 million gallons per day or more than 56,000 acre feet (AF) per year. The plant started operation in 2015 and reports that it produces water for ½ cent per gallon, or $1600 per AF, in large part due to its high volume.15 For comparison, the MWDOC published rate as of January 1, 2023, is $1,209 per acre foot.16 If Orange County were to establish a similar facility, it would offset the need for imported water and allow imported water to be redirected to other Southern California communities relying on importation, such as Inland Empire. The length of time to plan, obtain permits, and construct a desalination plant can take decades. A proposed plant at Huntington Beach was in planning and permitting for over twenty years and ultimately was not approved. South Coast Water District began the initial steps for the Doheny Plant at Dana Point in 2016 and it is expected to be in operation by 2028. Unless the State of California initiates methods for expediting the planning and approval processes, it can take at least as long as these two projects for any new ocean desalination plants. The State has shown it can accelerate the approval process as evidenced by the approval of SoFi Stadium 17 in record time by enacting legislation that expedited the permit and environmental requirements without compromise. It is well known that desalination has an impact on the environment, and we are fortunate to live in a state where protecting the environment is important. Engineers and water experts are researching how to integrate more renewable energy into the next generation of plants. The environmental impacts and costs of desalination should be compared against the full environmental impacts and costs of importing water from 700 miles away, not just wholesale rate costs as is usually done. Orange County cannot continue to rely on imported water, nor can it ignore the fact that there is an immediate need to take advantage of the ocean as a drought-resistant source of water. According to the Grand Jury’s research and interviews, the environmental concerns, surrounding intake and outflow of saltwater, and high electricity demand are being met as evidenced by the Doheny approval, therefore allowing desalination plants to operate. Orange County should embrace desalination as a major part of an overall local plan, not just a last resort.