Will this desal plant affect the marine life environment? Of course it will. But no worse than the wildlife dependent on the fresh water from drying-up resources. Desalination technology is currently used in more than 21,000 locations worldwide. Time to add OC to the list.

Carlsbad has been online since 2015 and the required mitigation still has not been constructed due to delays in state permitting. Guaranteeing that the HB desal plant mitigate for a period commensurate with its operating life has to be a chip on the table for our government leaders to leverage before agreeing to let the plant move forward. But it’s time to cut the red tape.

The people who complain the loudest about Poseidon’s investors making money on this plant really don’t seem to understand the high cost of developing this type of facility. If water ratepayers were to fund the development of a public desal plant, the increase in rates to do so would likely hit hundreds of dollars per household per year for 30 years or more. Water from the desal plant in HB will not triple the price of water; the price didn’t triple in Carlsbad.

Opponents continue to use a 2016 County report that says our current water needs will be met without desal until 2056. A lot has changed in the five years since this water needs report came out. After reading story after story about water resources evaporating before our eyes, I don’t think we can wait until 2056 to address our water crisis.