Need for the Project

State, regional and local water plans all have confirmed that immediate and pressing water needs cannot be accomplished without some investment in seawater desalination.

In June 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought and a State of Emergency for nine counties. With water supplies throughout the state approaching record low levels, the California Department of Water Resources announced in October that it will only be able to provide 15 percent of the water from the SWP needed in Southern California by cities and farmers in the coming year, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) has announced it will be one million acre-feet (fifty percent) short of demand in 2009, which will force MWD to further draw down reserves and/or reduce deliveries of imported water. Currently, San Diego receives as much as 30% of our water from the State Water Project.

• The proposed project will provide 56,000 AFY of new water supply for the San Diego region.
• The CA Department of Water Resources’ 2006 Water Plan Update identifies the need for 500,000 AF of desalinated water by 2030.
• The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s Integrated Water Resources Plan identifies a need for 150,000 AFY of seawater desalination (including 56,000 AFY from the Carlsbad project) by the year 2020.
• The San Diego County Water Authority’s (SDCWA) Urban Water Management Plan identifies a need for 56,000 AFY of seawater desalination from the Carlsbad project by 2011.
• Carlsbad Municipal Water District, Valley Center Municipal Water District, Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District, Sweetwater Authority, Rainbow Municipal Water District, Vallecitos Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District and the City of Oceanside have entered into long-term water purchase agreements with the Carlsbad desalination plant. Collectively, they represent 100% of its capacity.