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Laguna Beach mayor says local well and desalination partnerships will reduce imported supply reliance
Summary
The mayor of Laguna Beach said the city has purchased land in Fountain Valley and negotiated with Newport Beach to build a well that could supply about two-thirds of the city's water, and that the city is partnering with South Coast Water District on desalination to reduce reliance on imported supplies.
The mayor of Laguna Beach outlined plans to boost local water reliability, saying the city purchased land in Fountain Valley to build a well with Newport Beach that the mayor said could supply about two-thirds of the city's water and reduce dependence on imported sources.
The mayor said the city — which also serves as the water district's board of directors — has negotiated a memorandum of understanding with Newport Beach and is pursuing entitlements for the Fountain Valley well, with entitlements expected in the second quarter and construction “early next year,” as described during the speech. The mayor said the project should reduce the share of imported water and save ratepayers about $1 million a year.
The mayor also described Laguna Beach as a partner with South Coast Water District on a desalination plant at Doheny, saying the combination of the Fountain Valley well and the South Coast desalination work should move the city “in the next five years from a percentage of imported water to a majority of our water coming with local reliability.” The mayor did not provide the current percentage of imported water.
Why it matters: Laguna Beach relies on a mix of local and imported supplies; the mayor framed the Fountain Valley well and the desalination partnership as steps to reduce vulnerability to interruptions of imported supply and lower long-term costs.
What the mayor said: “We bought land in Fountain Valley…we're working to build a well with Newport Beach that's gonna give two thirds of our water supply right here locally,” he said. He added the city hopes to secure entitlements in the second quarter and “get shovels in the ground early next year.”
Details and next steps: The mayor identified entitlements as the next permitting milestone and said construction would follow; he did not provide a construction schedule, engineering plans, or a detailed financing plan in the remarks. The mayor attributed support from South Coast Water District and thanked County Supervisor Katrina Foley for assistance securing harbor dock space for a related marine safety vessel mentioned elsewhere in the speech.
Limitations of the public remarks: The mayor did not state the current share of imported water in numeric form (the speech used a placeholder “%”), did not provide a firm construction start date, and did not supply a full breakdown of project financing or regulatory approvals required for the Fountain Valley well or the desalination partnership.
Outlook: City officials said they expect entitlements in the second quarter and to begin construction thereafter; the mayor estimated the combined projects would shift the city toward a majority local supply within about five years and save ratepayers roughly $1 million annually.
