Cal Am to present alternatives to desal
Jim Johnson
Monterey Herald
10/04/2011
With the Regional Desalination Project's future in question, Monterey city leaders are asking California American Water to present an analysis of potential back-up water supply plans.
City Manager Fred Meurer said a public forum later this month will offer Cal Am a chance to unveil its review of a number of proposals that could help do what the $400 million desal project was supposed to accomplish: provide a water source to replace pumping from the Carmel River, which the state water board has ordered to a halt.
"I think most people in our area have come to the conclusion that the regional project as originally proposed is in some substantial jeopardy, so what's Plan B?" Meurer said. "Cal Am, which is under the gun from the state water board, has to have alternatives in case the regional project doesn't work out. So we've asked them to come to our forum and present them."
The forum is set for 7 to 11 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Monterey Conference Center's Steinbeck Forum. Meurer said the forum will include representatives from Cal Am, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and representatives of a proposed deepwater desal project at Moss Landing.
Meurer said about an hour to 90 minutes will be set aside for public input, including a question and answer session.
Monterey City Councilwoman Libby Downey said she and Carmel City Councilman Jason Burnett originally called for a study of potential alternatives this summer as a counterpoint to confidential discussions involving Peninsula mayors while the regional project appeared to be unraveling.
Downey said the "main objective" of studying alternatives is not to replace the regional project, but to have a fallback position because of the "precariousness" of the current proposal.
Cal Am spokeswoman Catherine Bowie said the private water company has been working on a study of potential water supply alternatives, and plans to present its findings at the forum. Bowie said Cal Am has presented a draft report to Peninsula mayors and city managers, and will incorporate their comments in a final report.
Bowie said the study focuses on 10 alternatives, including a previously proposed North Marina desal project owned by Cal Am alone, a desal project at the Naval Postgraduate School backed by the water management district, and a proposal blending increased aquifer storage and recovery with a smaller desal plant.
A deepwater desal proposal at Moss Landing is also expected to be included in the Cal Am review.
The study includes an analysis of how much replacement water is actually needed, and the potential cost, time line and feasibility of the proposals, Bowie and Meurer said.
And it will offer a status report on the regional project without alleged conflict of interest and governance issues, they said.
Downey said the water management district has suggested the Peninsula won't need the 10,000 acre-feet per year of water previously estimated.
