Water Desalination: A Nonconventional Water Supply Strategy in Meeting California's Water Need

1. Water Desalination: A Nonconventional Water Supply Strategy in Meeting California's Water Need Fawzi Karajeh Office of Water Use Efficiency and Transfers California Department of Water Resources For the Western Governor’s Association Western States Water Council Symposium Irvin, California November 15-17, 2006

2. Topics to be Discussed • Overview • State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Opportunities and Challenges • $50 Million in Desalination Grants – Proposition 50

3. California Water Background: The Challenges: Temporal distribution of California’s freshwater Have it in the right places at right times…. Limitations Lack of new feasible conventional water …

4. Future Needs • Population: • 2005 36 million • 2030 48 million • By 2030 Ca. will have 12 million more people • Reduced surface water supplies, unsustainable groundwater overdraft, and unmet environmental needs

5. Done every 5 years • Water Plan update 2005 • http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/

6. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach

7. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical

8. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology

9. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered

10. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected

11. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected • Case-by-case review for each desalination project

12. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected • Case-by-case review for each desalination project • Desalination facilities must be economically and environmentally appropriate

13. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected • Case-by-case review for each desalination project • Desalination facilities must be economically and environmentally appropriate • Recognize public trust aspects of ocean resources

14. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected • Case-by-case review for each desalination project • Desalination facilities must be economically and environmentally appropriate • Recognize public trust aspects of ocean resources • Provide technical and financial assistance for research and development projects that leads to advancement in desalination technology, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

15. State Perspective in Relation to Water Desalination • Recognize that desalination will be part of the State’s water supply portfolio--- Integrated Regional Water Management Approach • Ensure that comprehensive water conservation and recycling programs are considered to the maximum extent practical • No preference for or bias against specific technology • No preference for feedwater sources, both brackish and oceanwater desalination are being considered • Insure that public and environment health are protected • Case-by-case review for each desalination project • Desalination facilities must be economically and environmentally appropriate • Recognize public trust aspects of ocean resources • Provide technical and financial assistance for research and development projects that leads to advancement in desalination technology, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

16. Where does desal fit within the state’s long run water plan? • Desal helps achieve many of the Water Plan strategic goals • Contributes to the diversification of the State’s water supply portfolio • Enhances supply reliability • Improves water quality • Helps develop local/regional sources / Increase regional self-sufficiency • Reduce water imports/transfer • Increase regional drought preparedness

17. California Water Plan Update 2005 • Done every 5 years • http://www.waterplan.water.ca.gov/

18. Range of Water Supply Benefits by 2030

19. 2 InitiativesEnsure Reliable Water Supplies Vision 3 FoundationalActions EnsureSustainable Water Uses Framework for ActionSustainable & Reliable Water in 2030 Vital EconomyHealthy EnvironmentHigh Standard of Living Improve Statewide Water Management Systems ImplementIntegratedRegional WaterManagement UseWaterEfficiently ProtectWaterQuality SupportEnvironmentalStewardship

20. Reduce Water Demand Agricultural Water Use Efficiency Urban Water Use Efficiency Improve Operational Efficiency & Transfers Conveyance System Reoperation Water Transfers Increase Water Supply Conjunctive Management & Groundwater Storage Desalination –Brackish & Seawater Precipitation Enhancement Recycled Municipal Water Surface Storage – CALFED Surface Storage - Regional/Local Improve Water Quality Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution Groundwater/Aquifer Remediation Matching Quality to Use Pollution Prevention Urban Runoff Management Practice Resource Stewardship Agricultural Lands Stewardship Economic Incentives (Loans, Grants, and Water Pricing) Ecosystem Restoration Floodplain Management Recharge Areas Protection Urban Land Use Management Water-Dependent Recreation Watershed Management Resource Management Strategies

21. DiversifyingWaterPortfolios

22. How is desal different from other water supply alternatives? • Unique opportunities: • Provides new water supply from oceanwater and unusable brackish groundwater/reliable • Helps alleviate the overdraft of conventional sources • Drought resistant/combatant • High quality product water • Unaffected by climate changes! • Flexible Modular capacity- can be increased to meet demand or reduced to reduce supply and or energy consumption • Can reclaim contaminated sources which without treatment are unusable • Desal technology makes more water recycling and reuse possible

23. Moving Forward! Identify strategies for the development of oceanwater desalination projects that are Socially, Technically, Environmentally, Economically, and Politically “STEEP” acceptable Is it a STEEP goal? All new water projects in California are!

24. What unique challenges does it offer? • Environmental impacts • Feed intake (entrainment and impingement) • Brine discharge / concentrate management • Cumulative impacts • Cost / energy availability and use • Regulatory and permitting issues • Product water quality and method of distribution • Pure (unmingled) vs. blended desalinated water • Distribution through existing vs. new distribution delivery and distribution systems

25. Prop. 50 Chapter 6 (a) Desalination Grants Outcome • 48 Awarded Projects: • 14 R&D projects • 15 Pilots/demonstrations • 12 Feasibilities • 7 Construction projects • Ocean / Bay water and Brackish water desalination projects • Statewide • Northern California • Southern California • Universities / Research institutions

26. 2005 Funding CycleAwarded Grants

27. 2006 Funding CycleAwarded Grants

28. © N Voutchkov, 2006

29. Helpful Links Department of Water Resources www.water.ca.gov Recycling and Desalination Branch www.owue.water.ca.gov/recycle/