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Board hears breakthrough brine-treatment pilot; directs staff to pursue funding options
Summary
After a technical presentation on a zero-liquid-discharge (ZLD) brine-treatment pilot, the Cambria board directed staff to pursue funding alternatives and grants to evaluate commercial deployment; the pilot study author said the system reached near-99% recovery at much lower cost than typical thermal ZLD approaches.
The Cambria Community Services District received a detailed technical briefing April 9 on a pilot study evaluating advanced brine-treatment and water-recovery technology and asked staff to pursue funding alternatives and grants to continue evaluation.
General manager McElhinney prefaced the discussion by saying the report was a scientific, peer-reviewed submission and that the district currently has no budgeted funds to build ZLD infrastructure. Tech developer Mr. Easter described a series of five pilots, including Cambria, and said the team processed roughly 10,000 gallons during the local pilot. He told the board the pilot used electrically assisted separation and osmotic techniques to overcome membrane scaling and osmotic-pressure limits, allowing recovery rates near 99% at an estimated capital cost significantly below conventional ZLD approaches.
Public commenters urged caution: Christine Heinrichs asked for independent scientific review, warned that disposal options for brine would be costly and environmentally sensitive, and noted the WRF coastal development permit is under appeal. Resident Hank Krouchek asked for the pilot's operational logs and volume data; he said he had submitted a CPRA request and had been told no such public logs existed. Utilities staff and Mr. Easter responded that detailed sensor and operational datasets exist, some data are being submitted to funders and the Department of Water Resources, and some information is restricted by non-disclosure agreements tied to intellectual property.
Board members focused on scale and cost. Director Thomas and others asked for the pilot flow rate and whether scale-up to district needs was feasible; staff reported the pilot ran at about 10 gallons per minute (GPM) and board members said the district would need roughly 35 GPM for routine operation — a scale-up factor of about three. Mr. Easter and staff said the scaling was feasible and that other potential commercial sites (vineyards and municipal facilities) are already evaluating or budgeting the technology.
Mr. Easter provided preliminary cost figures that staff described as estimates: a Cambria-scale ZLD facility was roughly estimated at $3.5 million with operating-staff and energy implications (staff noted an estimate of six full-time employees if the system were operated at the proposed intensity). Mr. Easter said potential grant or donor funding might be available and mentioned a $950,000 funding source that may be pursued.
After questions and public comment, the board directed staff to pursue funding alternatives (Army Corps, grants, other sources) and continue evaluating brine-disposal options, including hauling, San Simeon outfall discussions, and the ZLD approach. Staff said they will return with grant updates, more detailed scale and cost estimates, and any independent reviews requested by the board.
