Site

Agua Hedionda Lagoon is a man-made, shallow, coastal embayment that is wholly owned by Cabrillo Power LLC.

Since 1952 the Lagoon has been kept open to the Pacific Ocean by routine maintenance dredging.

Today the Lagoon supports a wide variety of beneficial uses, including:

• 388 acres of high quality sub and inter-tidal marine habitat;
• Public access and recreation;
• Power production;
• Aquaculture;
• White Sea Bass fish hatchery;
• Marine research.

The EPS site was determined to be a desirable location due to its close proximity to the ocean, compatible land use and the availability of the existing intake and outfall.

The proposed location of the desalination facility within the Encina Power Station was specifically selected so as not to conflict with the City of Carlsbad Redevelopment Plan goals related to facilitating the conversion and relocation of the existing power plant and enhancement of commercial and recreational opportunities.

The proposed site of the desalination plant is a 4-acre parcel in a portion of the site that leaves the majority of the EPS property open for potential recreational or redevelopment activity at some future date.

The desalination facility will conform to the 35’ height limit in the Local Coastal Plan and the building design has been enhanced to ensure compatibility with future land use in the area.
Onsite improvements would include an intake pump station, and pipeline, concentrate return pipeline, sewer connection, electrical transmission lines, road improvements, and product water pump station and pipeline.



The desalination facility is connected to the discharge channel of the Encina Power Station at two locations.

The intake pump station is connected to the upstream portion of the discharge channel and delivers 100 million gallons per day (mgd) of seawater to the desalination facility.

Half the seawater processed by the desalination facility would be converted to high quality drinking water. This water is delivered to Carlsbad and the surrounding communities.

The remaining water, 50 mgd of seawater with an elevated salt content, is returned to the discharge channel where it is diluted with additional seawater prior to being discharge to the ocean. This ensures that the increased salinity will not impact the marine organisms in the vicinity of the discharge channel.