Desalination project near Doheny State Beach gets changes approved, timeline pushed back

Details about the layout, financials and timeline of the project were discussed by South County Water District officials at the California Coastal Commission meeting.

Several changes to an ocean desalination project proposed near Doheny State Beach to help generate drinking water for South Orange County were discussed Wednesday, Oct.

7, by the California Coastal Commission, with the modifications given the green light.

Approved changes will move the slant wells, which will source water from subsurface intake wells buried beneath the ocean floor, to the north day use area of the state beach, away from the campgrounds as previously proposed.

The project aims to tap seawater to lessen the dependence on imported water, with the South County Water District estimating the ability to make up to 5 million gallons per day of drinking water supply using a first-of-its-kind system in the state.

The desalination plant would sit at Pacific Coast Highway and Stonehill Drive, next to San Juan Creek, within 100 yards of existing regional water transmission lines.

SCWD proposes to build the facility on property it owns, with much of the infrastructure already in place.

More details about the financials and timeline of the project were also discussed by water district officials, with delays pushing the next steps in the process from this fall into next year.

That means, if approved by SCWD officials and partners next year, the desalination system could be expected to be running by 2030.

The latest guaranteed maximum price for the project is estimated at $296 million, officials said.

That price tag covers finalizing the design and building the project.

The main reason for the delay is the potential for an additional $63 million federal grant from the U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation early next year that would help cover a significant portion of the overall project cost, South Coast Water District General Manager Rick Shintaku said.

Current and potential partner agencies are waiting on the decision before committing, he said.