Given current growth projections for California, new sources of water will undeniably be needed in the coming years. Current projections indicate that California's population may grow by another 25 million people by the year 2040. While some may be eager to move forward with the capabilities of ocean and brackish desalination, there are still issues and concerns that need to be addressed before desalination is widely embraced and accepted.

Back in September 2002, California Governor Gray Davis signed into law AB2717, adding amendments to the California Water Code. This new law designated the Department of Water Resources to establish a Desalination Task Force to make recommendations for the use of seawater and brackish water desalination. Costs of desalination, environmental concerns, educating the public, overarching management objectives and the role of the State in furthering the use of desalination are all issues currently being reviewed by the task force.

While desalination, under certain conditions and in comparison to other alternatives, does show promise as a water supply source for California, many questions remain unanswered. At the top of the list is whether water is a basic human right, "guaranteed to every human being, or an economic good available only to those who can pay?"¹ The implications are real. Not only are we looking at environmental and public policy issues but also the likelihood of privatization of water under international trade agreements.

Environmental concerns are many

Two huge impacts to marine life and water quality will be seawater intake systems and brine discharge systems. Coastal Act Policies will be important in assessing the effects of desalination on marine biological resources and water quality. Also of concern in the discharge stream are the chemicals used to treat the water and clean the equipment.

Recent changes in desalination technology have reduced concerns about the usage of energy. Some believe the energy issues associated with desalination can be solved by co-locating desalination facilities with coastal power plants and acquiring energy from sources other than the grid. Others are concerned about tying desalination too closely to coastal power plants, using once-through ocean-water cooling systems, due to ongoing efforts to minimize or eliminate these facilities.

Here locally, a desalination plant under consideration near Morro Bay, the first for-profit facility in the state, is facing serious regulatory obstacles. Concerns include the killing of fish and crab larvae and the potential to encourage growth in the coastal zone. San Luis Obispo currently has two desalination plants, one providing fresh water for Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant and the other used as a backup source in Morro Bay.

It's imperative that we take the time now to research further the ramifications of this water source. Is it the best possible option? Is it environmentally sound? What does privatization mean in the global marketplace ? These questions and many more still need to be addressed before moving forward on a grander scale.

On the surface, desalination looks like a quick fix for California's water woes. Lurking below the surface you will find a quagmire of human rights and environmental health issues that need full public discussion before we move ahead with any of the proposed desalination plants along the coast of California. ECOSLO recommends we proceed with great caution. We need to start the conversation now in light of the new generation of international "trade" agreements that could transform water from a public resource to an open market commodity with Wall Street calling the shots.

We also need to question why we need to look to the ocean for a new source of drinking water. As long as we continue to grant waiver after waiver to the Clean Water Act, agriculture and industry will continue to pollute our existing fresh water supplies and groundwater reserves. The argument is often that it is too expensive to clean up the pollution. The buck must stop here before the opportunity to pollute the ocean is handed over to private industry.

Currently the California Coastal Commission has a Draft Report on Seawater Desalination and the California Coastal Act available on their website. The State Water Resources Board has draft position papers on their website. Read these documents. Make comments to the appropriate agencies. Ocean water is a public trust resource and must be protected for the benefit of present and future generations.

1. "Thirst for Control," Steven Shrybman, 2002, page 4