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Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant

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The Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is a desalination plant in Carlsbad, California.[2][3] The San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA), the recipient of the fresh water produced by the plant, calls it "the nation’s largest, most technologically advanced and energy-efficient seawater desalination plant." Opened on December 14, 2015, the entire desalination project cost about $1 billion for the plant, pipelines, and upgrades to existing SDCWA facilities to use the water.

Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant
Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is located in San Diego County, California
Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant
Location within San Diego County
Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant is located in California
Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant
Claude "Bud" Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant (California)
Map
Desalination plant
LocationCarlsbad, California
Coordinates33°08′20″N 117°20′07″W / 33.13889°N 117.33528°W / 33.13889; -117.33528
Estimated output50×10^6 US gal (190,000 m3) per day (190 megalitres)
CostUS$1 billion[1]
TechnologyReverse osmosis
Percent of water supplyEstimated 7% of San Diego County
Websitecarlsbaddesal.com (see Project website note under External links)

History

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The project to build a desalination plant in San Diego County, California, commenced in 1993 after five years of drought.[1] Membrane technology used in the plant was pioneered by General Atomics in La Jolla.[4] Environmentalists opposed the construction due to various concerns, most notably energy consumption, brine discharge[1] and that the ocean water intake could kill fish.[5] Five lawsuits were brought against the plant, including by the Surfrider Foundation, San Diego Coastkeeper, and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation, but none were successful.[4][6]

Construction

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The plant construction started in December 2012, and was originally scheduled to be completed in 2016.[6][7] Due to the continuing drought in California, plant completion was advanced to late 2015.[8] The plant began regular operations in December 2015.[9] It was named after a former Carlsbad mayor, Claude "Bud" Lewis, who held the position for almost a quarter of a century.[10] Lewis died in 2014 and was a supporter of construction of the desalination plant.[11] After completion, it underwent six months of testing before being brought online.[12]

The fresh water output from the plant is sent by a 10 mi (16 km) long, 4.5 ft (1.4 m) diameter pipeline, utilizing six pumps, to connect to the SDCWA distribution system in San Marcos.[13] Pipeline construction began in 2013 and was completed June 28, 2015.[14][15]

Poseidon Water built the plant.[16] The main engineering companies on the project were GHD Group and U.S.-based Butier Engineering Inc.[17][18][19] IDE Americas Inc., a subsidiary of Israel-based IDE Technologies, designed the plant. IDE Technologies is jointly owned by Delek Group and Israel Chemicals.[20][21] Simon Wong Engineering was subcontracted to provide the design and structural engineering services.[22] The J.F. Shea Company and Kiewit Corporation constructed the plant.[23]

The plant took nearly 14 years to permit, design, and build.[4] The total project cost was expected to reach near $1 billion; initial cost estimates ranged from $250 million in 2004 to $690 million in 2010.[24] The cost of construction was funded by bond sales.[6] In late 2012, Fitch Ratings gave the bonds their lowest investment grade rating.[25] Upon completion, it became the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere.[6]

Operations

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In 2016, the plant fulfilled 95% of water orders, falling to 70% of water orders the following year.[26] In December 2018, the plant produced its 40-billionth gallon of water;[27] with capacity to provide water for up to 400,000 people.[28] A January 2019 study noted that plant discharge had noticeably increased nearby salinity, but with no known effects to nearby marine life.[29] Though touted by Poseidon as a "climate-proof" [citation needed] water source, at times the plant has been temporarily closed due to red tides.[30]

How it works

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Up to 100,000,000 US gal (380,000 m3) per day of cooling water from Encina Power Station is taken into the desalination plant.[31] The water intake is filtered through gravel, sand, and other media to greatly reduce particulates before going through reverse osmosis filtration.[16] Half of the saltwater taken into the plant is converted into pure potable water, with the rest discharged as concentrated brine.[32]

The outflow of the plant is put into the discharge from Encina Power Station for dilution, for a final salt concentration about 20% higher than seawater. Most desalination plants discharge water with about 50% extra salt, which can lead to dead spots in the ocean, because the super-salinated brine does not mix well with seawater.[16] Encina Power Station was demolished, and Poseidon Water took over dredging responsibility for Agua Hedionda Lagoon, taking over from NRG;[33] without dredging at the mouth of the lagoon, it would revert to being a pre-1952 mudflat.[34]

Environmental concerns

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To offset environmental impacts, 66 acres (27 ha) of wetlands were built in San Diego Bay.[6] Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the plant, and carbon emission offsets will be purchased.[35]

San Diego Coastkeeper is suing the SDCWA over environmental concerns. On July 29, 2015, it argued in a hearing before Superior Court Judge Gregory Pollack that the Authority's long-term water plan (and specifically the Carlsbad desalination plant) violates the California Environmental Quality Act, specifically with respect to energy needs and the greenhouse gases associated with those. The Authority says that these have been accounted for, and a mitigation plan has been put into place.[36]

Water quantity and cost

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The plant is expected to produce 50×10^6 US gal (190,000 m3) of water per day[37] (0.069 km3/a) with energy use of ~3.6[38] kWh for 1 m3 fresh water, or ~38 MW of average continuous power.[6][39] Another estimate has the plant requiring 40 MW to operate, and a cost of $49 million to $59 million a year.[1] It will provide about 7% of the potable water needs for the San Diego region.[4]

The San Diego County Water Authority signed a contract with the plant operator to purchase a minimum 48,000 acre-feet per year of water, but it can also demand up to a maximum of 56,000 acre-feet per year.[40][41] This is equivalent to 43 million gallons per day (mgd), or about 86% of the plant's output.

The cost of water from the plant will be $100 to $200 more per acre-foot than recycled water (approximately 0.045 cents per gallon), $1,000 to $1,100 more than reservoir water (approx. 0.32 cents per gallon), but $100 to $200 less than importing water from outside the county.[42] As of April 2015, San Diego County imported 90% of its water.[13] A conglomerate of California-based environmentalist groups, the Desal Response Group, claimed that the plant will cost San Diego County $108 million a year.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Phillips, Erica E. (June 20, 2013). "Water Plant's Long Journey". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  2. ^ "City of Carlsbad - Seawater Desalination". City of Carlsbad. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  3. ^ Fikes, Bradley J. (December 14, 2015). "$1-billion desalination plant, hailed as model for state, opens in Carlsbad". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d Perry, Tony (June 4, 2015). "Backers of desalination hope Carlsbad plant will disarm critics". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 6, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  5. ^ Roach, John (February 17, 2014). "Parched California Pours Mega-Millions Into Desalination Tech". NBC News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rogers, Paul (May 29, 2014). "Nation's largest ocean desalination plant goes up near San Diego; Future of the California coast?". San Jose Mercury News. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
  7. ^ Jason Dearen; Alicia Chang (September 22, 2012). "California Drinking Water: Desalination No Panacea For State's Woes". The Huffington Post. New York City. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
    "Carlsbad Desalination Plant Pipeline Halfway Completed". KPBS. San Diego. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  8. ^ Gillis, Justin (April 11, 2015). "For Drinking Water in Drought, California Looks Warily to Sea". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  9. ^ Fikes, Bradley (December 13, 2015). "State's biggest desal plant to open: What it means". San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  10. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 14, 2015). "Desalination Plant Named For Former Carlsbad Mayor 'Bud' Lewis". KPBS News. San Diego. City News Service. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  11. ^ Henry, Barbara (October 16, 2014). "Former Carlsbad mayor Bud Lewis mourned". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  12. ^ Diehl, Phil (April 12, 2015). "Carlsbad desalination project nears completion". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Diehl, Phil (April 11, 2015). "Carlsbad desalination project nears completion". San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  14. ^ Garske, Monica (March 29, 2013). "Pipeline Construction Begins for Carlsbad Desalination Plant". KNSD. San Diego. Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  15. ^ Anderson, Erik (June 29, 2015). "Carlsbad Desalination Plant's Pipeline Now Complete". KPBS Public Media. City News Service. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d Weiser, Matt (October 18, 2014). "Could desalination solve California's water problem?". Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  17. ^ "Carlsbad 50 MGD Seawater RO Desalination Plant and Product Water Pipeline". Butier Engineering. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  18. ^ "Carlsbad Desalination Plant (CA, USA)". GHD Group. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  19. ^ "Australia's GHD to work on Carlsbad desalination". Desalin. Water Reuse. East Grinstead, UK. March 23, 2009. Archived from the original on January 7, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  20. ^ Udasin, Sharon (January 7, 2013). "Israelis to design San Diego-area desalination plant". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  21. ^ Hackley, Randall (January 7, 2013). "IDE Desalination Plant Project Contracts Valued at $650 Million". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on May 25, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  22. ^ "Major New Desalination Plant To Be Built In Southern California". Water Online. VertMarkets, Inc. April 18, 2007. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  23. ^ "Seawater Desalination" (PDF). SDCWA.org. San Diego County Water Authority. March 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 10, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015. A joint venture of Kiewit Infrastructure West and J.F. Shea Construction, inc. designed and is building the desalination plant and pipleline.
  24. ^ Lee, Mike (June 15, 2012). "Carlsbad desal plant, pipe costs near $1 billion". San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
  25. ^ Barringer, Felicity (February 28, 2013). "In California, What Price Water?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 31, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  26. ^ Rivard, Ry (August 29, 2017). "Desal Plant Is Producing Less Water Than Promised". Voice of San Diego. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  27. ^ Patton, Jim (December 13, 2018). "Carlsbad desalination plant celebrates milestone". 10news.com. San Diego: KGTV. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  28. ^ Alexander, Kurtis (March 16, 2018). "$10 million coming to Bay Area desalination project; but it's not on the ocean". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
    Neuhauser, Alan (January 4, 2019). "A Moonshot for Solving America's Water Crisis". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  29. ^ Gies, Eric (February 7, 2019). "Slaking the World's Thirst with Seawater Dumps Toxic Brine in Oceans". Scientific American. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
    "Study of brine discharge from desalination plant finds good news and bad news". Phys.org. University of California Santa Cruz. January 31, 2019. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  30. ^ Elmer, MacKenzie (July 27, 2020). "Environment Report: Why Your Water Bill Might Spike". Voice of San Diego. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  31. ^ "Carlsbad Desalination Project | Desalination Plant". Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  32. ^ "How it Works". Archived from the original on November 3, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  33. ^ Sifuentes, Edward (November 30, 2014). "Agua Hedionda Lagoon dredging starts soon". San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
    Thompson, Konny; Wells, Sam. "Tapping the Pacific". Carlsbad Magazine. Wheelhouse Media, LLC. Archived from the original on March 22, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  34. ^ Fokos, Barbarella (May 14, 2008). "True Lagoon". San Diego Reader. Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  35. ^ Orlowski, Aaron (April 21, 2015). "Desalination could provide O.C. an infinite water supply, but at a steep cost". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved June 7, 2015.
  36. ^ Diehl, Phil (August 8, 2022). "Poseidon failed to start wetlands restoration on time, says Coastal Commission". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  37. ^ Gorman, Steve (December 11, 2009). "Desalination project forges ahead in California". Reuters. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
    Odenheimer, Alisa; Nash, James (February 12, 2014). "Israel Desalination Shows California Not to Fear Drought". Bloomberg Business. Archived from the original on June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 9, 2015. The facility, when finished in 2016, will be able to provide 50 million gallons of potable water a day.
  38. ^ Desalination of Seawater. American Water Works Association. 2011. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-58321-833-4.
  39. ^ "Pacific Institute | Advancing Water Resilience" (PDF). pacinst.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 16, 2013.
  40. ^ "Carlsbad Desalination Project | Project Agreements". Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  41. ^ Elias, Thomas (March 23, 2017). "Desal loses urgency following wet winter". Pomerado News. Poway. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
    San Diego County Grand Jury (May 15, 2013). Reduce Dependence on Imported Water (PDF) (Report). County of San Diego. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  42. ^ Rosenthal, Jessica (May 20, 2015). "Desalination: Could One Of California's Drought Solutions Backfire?". Fox News Radio. Archived from the original on May 31, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2015.
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