California Attempts First Large-Scale Desalination Plant

The New York Times (5/15, A16, Barringer) reports, “The vast $320 million desalination plant approved this week by San Diego’s regional water authorities is likely to serve as a test case for whether such a large project can meet its goals while safeguarding its Pacific environment.” The plant “will be the first large-scale desalination operation on the West Coast and the largest in the hemisphere.” Meanwhile, “other ambitious desalination projects are being considered along the California coast, from Marin County just north of San Francisco to Santa Cruz, Monterey, Long Beach and Huntington Beach.” The Times notes, “Cities, water companies and environmentalists are likely to scrutinize how the plant near Carlsbad performs financially and technically and weigh its environmental impact.”