Desalination, With a Grain of Salt: A California Perspective

1. Desalination, With a Grain of Salt: A California Perspective Desal Response Group Aquarium of the Pacific October 2006

2. Background • Seawater desalination is widely and successfully used in parts of the world. • Interest in seawater desalination is growing. • Understanding the real costs and benefits is critical to avoiding costly mistakes. • The Pacific Institute was asked to prepare an independent California assessment: funded by Packard and the California Coastal and Marine Initiative. • Cooley et al. 2006. http://www.pacinst.org/reports/desalination

5. Findings • Potential benefits of seawater desalination are great. • But the economic, environmental, and social costs of wide commercialization remain high. • Alternatives can provide these benefits at lower cost, with fewer environmental and social impacts, especially for California.

6. Economic Questions • There are some economic advantages that are poorly understood or quantified. • Reliability; ecosystem water; independence of supply • Actual costs are neither as low nor dropping as fast as claimed. • subsidies, interest rates, plant size, energy costs, salinity of the source water, etc. • Despite cost reductions in recent years, desalinationremains more expensive than other California water supply and demand management options.

7. Energy Intensity of Water Sources in San Diego County Source: Wolff et al. 2004

8. Water Supply Diversity and Reliability • Largely independent of weather conditions • Offers local control • Source diversity Source: DWR website Report describes a method to quantify the economic value of these benefits based on financial portfolio theory. Source: USGS website

9. Water Quality • Desalination produces high-quality water (low TDS). • But there are uncertainties about blending with existing water distribution systems. • Desalination can introduce contaminants from corrosion or from source water. • New standards may be needed.

10. Environmental Risks and Benefits • Desalination offers environmental advantages: • Source displacement • And environmental risks: • Water intakes (impingement and entrainment) • Brine discharge • Energy use Marine Mammal Center U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

11. Climate Change • California is especially vulnerable to climate changes, particularly along the coast. Issues to be addressed include: • Future sea-level (intake, outfall, design) • Storm frequency and intensity • Implications of high energy requirements Source: USGS

12. Siting and Operation • Coastal development and land use issues are unresolved. • Privatization concerns must be addressed. • Co-location offers advantages and disadvantages, but have been poorly assessed. • The regulatory process should be clarified. Source: USGS

13. Conclusions • Desalination is likely to play an important role in California’s future water portfolio. • The future isn’t here yet. • Current proposals fail to adequately address the complicated costs and benefits associated with seawater desalination. • Decision-making process must be open and transparent, and it isn’t yet.

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