Back in the fall of 2007 I wrote a piece about the Poseidon Resources proposed desalination plant slated for Carlsbad. Poseidon - Is Desalination in the Cards for San Diego? As an update on this article, Poseidon Resources are back on the block as they try to get the final approval from the State Coastal Commission to move forward with construction of the Desalination plant.

There are some that see this as a poor remedy for whatever shortages here might be in water resources and others that see desalination as a best hope to replace dwindling water resources. Since this debate affects so many in Southern California and the outcome is so important to the future available water supplies, I thought that I might present the arguments for and the arguments against this desalination project and you can decide which one of the arguments is best and actually holds "water".

Proponents for the current proposal by Poseidon Resources

The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board  which had approved this proposal to build this desalination plant twice in the last 2 years, feels that the project can move forward without harming the coastal resources.

Those supporting this proposal feel that the desalination project is basically environmentally benign and that it is actually critical to the preservation and enhancement of the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon.

This Lagoon, the proposed site for the desalination project was man-made by the private operators of the Encina Power Plant. It is the source of the creation of the healthy ecosystem that has existed in the Lagoon and has it has been credited to the good management by the private power company and local government.

This ecosystem has continuously and is still currently supporting recreation, industry and research.

Ironically the Aqua Hedionda Lagoon is the home of the Hubbs-Seaworld fish hatchery and the Carlsbad Aquafarm and the YMCA camp and education center. These were all made possible because of the way this man made ecosystem was designed and is maintained by the power company.

In the proposal, the desalination plant will operate using the same system as was used by the power plant and it guarantees to provide continuous care of the lagoon. 

Argument Against the Current Proposal

Those that oppose the Poseidon proposal say that drafting seawater directly from the lagoon is a devastating practice and snags valuable marine life in the intake of this water. Other power plants are  phasing out this practice of using water to cool their power plants and now are using air cooling instead.

Those that are in opposition acknowledge that even this Encina Power plant will be converting  over to air cooling and it would be not in the best interests of the marine life now present in the Hedionda Lagoon to allow the practice of using the lagoon for the Poseidon Desalination Plant.

They propose that that instead of using water from the Lagoon , that the Poseidon Resources proposal should use water drawn from the below the ocean floor. They do acknowledge that this technology although is currently available , is very much more costly. They feel that perhaps when imported water reaches a higher price, it might make desalination using this method more economically feasible.

Their argument also suggests that it might make sense to construct smaller desalination plants that are more environmentally friendly rather than this proposal that puts this megalith plant next to a phased out power plant just so it can utilize the antiquated intake structure.

The other reasons for opposing the Poseidon Resources proposal was that San Diego has not done enough to utilize the other more readily available water resources. San Diego and the other communities waste too much water and with conservation, they could match the needs of the demand. In the interim, those that oppose the Poseidon Resources proposal also feel that other means of supplying water such as toilet to tap, recycled ground water, conservation of current supplies would be more environmentally friendly. Recycling water could also be even less expensive than the desalination process.

Those opposed feel that until these other alternatives are exhausted, desalination is premature anyway. They fault the politicians for not wanting to take on the difficult course of mandating conservation practices and feel they are choosing the easier way out by approving desalination as a new  unlimited supply line and in the process destroying the health of the of the ocean.

These are a summary of the respective positions and they both would seem to have validity or at least some validity. Whichever way this goes, it sounds like the citizens and elected officials may not actually end up being the choosers here and that a court may ultimately end up deciding the fate of proposal.

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Courtesy of William Johnson GRI CRS e-PRO author of The Real Estate Text Book and The Voice of San Diego Real Estate

Disclaimer: The information contained in any post written by William Johnson is deemed reliable but is not gauranteeed and the opinions expressed in these are writings are my own. I disclaim any liability for any damages or loses direct or indirect that may result from use of, or reliance upon any information contained in this blog or for the accuraacy of comments or opnions expressed by others. You are advised not to rely on any information contained herein without your own verification of the information.