Posted on 02/28/2006 2:01:51 PM PST by BurbankKarl
A controversial proposal to build what would be the largest desalination plant in the nation along the Huntington Beach coastline was approved early today after months of raucous debate.
The Huntington Beach City Council voted 4 to 3 to approve permits for Poseidon Resources Corp. to build a $250-million desalination facility next to the AES power station on Pacific Coast Highway at the city's southern edge.
The desalination plant would produce as much as 50 million gallons of fresh water daily by tapping ocean water already pumped into the power station to cool the huge electrical facility.
The plant still must receive approvals from several state agencies, including the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission.
Most of the water would be sold to as yet unknown buyers, though Huntington Beach agreed to buy a modest amount — 3.2 million gallon a day — at a rate less than what it now pays for imported water from the Metropolitan Water District. About a third of the city's water is imported; the rest comes from groundwater.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Sounds good, whats the fuss.
Say what you will about the merits of de-salinating sea water, but that statement is just plain ludicrous.
I'm not rich & I'm not a liberal and I live in HB, but I don't see why we need to put a water plant right on our beach. We're really not in that dire need of water, and expensive water at that.
It's in a flat area just South of Beach Boulevard. There's a boat storage site and some wetlands, I believe.
This desalination plant is a good move. While they're at it, they should build a nuclear plant next to it.
What do you do with all the salt? There are any number of good answers (from pumping it back into the ocean to spreading it on icy upper-midwest roads), but the question does need an answer.
Sounds good, whats the fuss.
I’m not making this up.
The enviro wackos in Australia recently stopped the building of a desalination plant there.
One of the major reasons for blocking it was that it would lessen the water shortage in the area. They felt that an abundance of water would lead to increased water usage.
So the water shortage will continue, so that the water shortage can continue.
The fuss is that in many places the no growthers have used the scarcity of water to justify their wanting growth stopped. If there's plenty of water the rationale goes away and there's no quick replacement. By and large, if you scratch deep enough, it rich white liberals near the coast trying to enhance their property values by artificial scarcity.
I hope they have better luck than we had here in Tampa Bay. Our desal plant turned out to be a disaster.
This is a move for the future, just like saving money instead of spending it. The Colorado River project is the main source of water for a lot of Southern California. Depending on one source just isn't wise; it works, but how long will it work and what happens when it doesn't work?
That's why they're building this plant.
Unbelievably stupid.
I'd bet those opposed have no qualms about using the wind or water in rivers to generate electricity.
"why we need"...Ain't heard bout the NEW DAM on the Colorado,heh? LOL
With that logic, I guess we could also do away with marinas and ocean going cruise and container ships.
I just saw this in the article and what an understatement!
Linking desalinization to nuclear power plant has always seemed the logical way to go.
Then you have not heard of plans to blow up a dam on the Columbia River in Washington, or Sen. Kennedy's request to get rid of all those unsightly windmills.
It can only improve the quality of water in that area. We lived in Santa Ana 30 years ago ... the water was terrible. We, and most households, had bottled water on the premises used for drinking purposes, coffee making, etc., tap water was used for cooking and bathing.
But wouldn't you feel better paying 2-4 times market price, in order to say you've planned ahead?
Good idea.
The Colorado River project can only provide limited amounts of water to California.
Arizona, Nevada, old Mexico, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado also need water from The Colorado River project .
We're really not in that dire need of water, and expensive water at that.
There are plenty of places that do need fresh water and maybe by doing this, rivers can just be used for recreation.
When you run sea water through an RO, you end up with product water (fresh water) and a bi product (brine). The brine contains the salts and other dissolved solids previously contained in the sea water (call it saltier sea water). The brine is then pumped back into the ocean, usually diluted into a stream of fresh water going out (the cooling water at the power plant).
You usually do not have any "salt" extracted that can then be used for commercial purposes (although this could also be done).
Bias reporting notice.
"Huge" is relative. As power plants go, this plant is of average size.
That is true only if the users/drinkers of said water refuse to go to the restroom.
Well I'm no environmental wacko, but the water is very expensive. There is no urgent need for water. Plus the plant is to be built on a beach that is very nice.
Then put the plant in their back yard, or in Tiajuana, not HB.
California has been taking more that its share of Colorado river water for years. They have been trying to grab water and electricity from adjacent states. A desalination plant is an excellent solution to providing more fresh water to a population that keeps growing without any attention to resource limits. Team that up with a nuclear power plant and you solve two key problems.
Now Gub you know that it's being built across PCH from the beach, not on the beach :)
Isn't the plant several hundred yards inland?
Oh right, across the street...that makes it all the better. That AES plant is just beautiful & makes our beaches so pretty. And you know the beach side of the AES plant is already trashed from that plant.
Standard California attitude: Not In My Back Yard. It's the same reason the state is perpetually teetering on brownouts and blackouts every summer.
How is the beach trashed from the AES plant?, granted the plant ain't pretty to look at, but it's does it"s job!
Yep, time to California bash, from Idaho, no less.
I don't see why they don't have these plants everywhere. Tell you what, We here in Texas will trade an oil derrick on our national seashore for one of these plants and we'll see how ya'll like that. Pony up west coaster.
It is all rocky, and there is a big underwater drainage pipe that drains into the water. As a matter of fact the beach is closed in that area.
It is about time that California slows down its stealing of the Colorado River water.
They have gotten off cheap since the 1930's. They are now spoiled by cheap, below "fair market" water prices.
California should build dams and reserve water on their own lands. Stealing water from Nevada was also not nice.
There are 3 offshore rigs right off the coast of HB. You can see them from shore & probably row a boat to them. There are also plenty of of pumping units & tank farms directly across from the beach. HB is an old oil town. There are active pumping units all around town & several active fields. You have nothing over on us in that regard. And you can have this water plant if you want it.
3.2 million gallon a day — at a rate less than what it now pays for imported water from the Metropolitan Water District.
It will cost less than what is now being paid for your water.
You put it in bags and then truck it to Canada, where they will buy it to de-ice their driveways and sidewalks.
Send it to the great salt flats of Utah!!!!
CA is going to have to get water from somewhere. The Pacific Ocean is right next door.
Build a pipeline and stop mooching off the Colorado River!
BUMP
I guess I am going to have to stop next time a go that way on PCH, and check out the beach again
They give a low ball rate to get the plant. Several studies & experience at other plants indicate the actual cost may be higher.
ping
I don't know where you think a better site for a desalination site than next to the ocean. It doesn't make much sense to put it in Barstow.
With the population of California expected to hit 50 million within 15 years, it's probably a pretty good idea to figure out how you're going to supply them with adequate water.
The Colorado River doesn't have much more to give. Not much flows into the Sea of Cortez anymore.
Didn't know HB was a national seashore and get that SOB here as fast as you can.
Does this brine have an adverse impact on the sea-life in the area?
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