Desal plant

As many of us know, Santa Cruz is planning to build a water desalination plant to serve two purposes:

• aid the Santa Cruz Water District in periods of severe drought (i.e. 'insurance')
• otherwise be used by the Soquel Water District to reduce ground water use, which is a very unsustainable practice

It is an understatement to say the issue is complicated; as is everything with water in California.  Just some of the issues:

• water conservation vs. increasing supplies
• cost of desal
• environmental impact of such a plant
  
• energy to power desal, including fossil fuel
• use of the desal water
  

The last one, use of the desal water, some  2.5 million gals a day, is at least as complicated as the other issues combined.   Why is one of Soquel Water District's acquifiers being depleted?   Is desal the answer?

This is the first of a series of occasional posts on the proposed desalination plant in Santa Cruz.  It is important that all citizens understand the issues, costs, options and uses:   to make an informed decision.

First, attend the officially sponsored Update on September 24. Here are few FAQs, from the Santa Cruz Water District.  And Pro argument published in Santa Cruz Weekly

There is also con.   Some question for the need such plant, some are concerned with its use of fossil fuel and environmental impact.  Others question the very use of the water.  Rick Longinotti prepared slides, available here.   Douglas Deitch wrote an opposition letter  in the Santa Cruz Weekly.

Most complicated of all is the situation in Pajaro Valley, where water is so crucial (podcast) to one of major industries in Santa Cruz County:  strawberries. (note: Gary Patton was supervisor in Santa Cruz County. )  Can Pajaro Valley, strawberries and agriculture be excluded from the desal discussion?