Monterey County votes to move forward with desalination plans

The battle for how Monterey Peninsula residents get their water reached a climax on Monday with the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voting to deny the appeals against a controversial desalination plant in Marina.

The county planning commission already approved a Combined Development Permit for the desal plant earlier this year. The California Public Utilities Commission had also certified an environmental impact report as well.

But two appeals were filed to the planning commission’s decision by the Marina Coast Water District and the non-profit group Public Water Now. The proposed plant would go through about 6.4 million gallons of water every day.

During a special meeting on Monday, the county supervisors heard arguments from different groups and residents over the desal plant. Opponents urged the board to vote for a supplemental environmental impact report on top of the certified one.

“The reason Public Water Now opposes Cal Am’s desal plant is because of the cost to the ratepayers and because of the environmental impacts to the Salinas Valley
Groundwater Basin,” said Melodie Chrislock, the managing director of Public Water Now.

But proponents say they project has gone through review already and say it is time to build.

“This has been a very long period of review, every stakeholder consulted, multiple opportunities for input from the public for engagement in the process,” said
Catherine Stedman, a California American Water spokesperson.

Public Water Now, however, claims on top of additional concerns over environmental impacts they say are not covered in the certified EIR, building a new desal plant would increase costs for water ratepayers by over $1 billion over three decades.

They want to see an expansion of Pure Water Monterey, a smaller but advanced water-recycling project.

“The Pure Water Monterey expansion would cost us $175 million over 30 years. The Cal Am desal plant would cost us $1.2 billion over 30 years. Which one would you
choose?” said Chrislock.

Cal Am says ever since the state ordered them to reduce pumping off of the Carmel River, they have looked into what the best possible project would be to get water for the peninsula. They say the desalination plant is the best way moving forward.

“Without the desalination project, we won’t have enough water to serve our community. The issue really cannot be more urgent,” said Stedman.

All supervisors recognized the urgency of the issue, but ultimately external deadlines from the state prompted them to side with Cal Am.

The final vote was 3-2 with Supervisors Mary Adams and Jane Parker voting in dissent.

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The Monterey County Board of Supervisors have voted 3-2 to uphold the planning commission’s decision to approve the permits for a Marina desalination plant being proposed by California American Water.

The appeals are being made by the non-profit group Public Water Now and by the Marina Coast Water District.

KION’S Josh Kristianto will bring us a full report at 5 and 6 p.m.